Fire Emblem: Solemn Story
by OperationJonny
Summary: An original story of Fire Emblem, with characters readers may submit! Just make sure to PM the character info detailed to me, and if you review, you may have a better chance of getting into the story. Read and enjoy!
1. A living Sin in Bolstar

**Fire Emblem: A Solemn Story.**

**A Story by OperationJonny.

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_Betrayal. _

_What a funny word. _

_What funny emotions are paired with this._

_Regret, jealousy, hatred, pain._

_Things you don't even need a heart to feel._

_When betrayed by the very light you stand by,_

_what can you do?_

_Step back reproachfully from the light,_

_into the darkness?_

_March forward and stride trustingly into the light once more?_

_Or remain in the darkness, _

_and remain a nothing?_

_Who knows. _

_All that is known,_

_is all actions come full circle._

_Including betrayal._

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Sin sat alone, in the shade of the trees, in a town reknowned for it's markets... his name? Oh yes. His name... curious, that you'd ask. He dubbed himself Sin, after his own hateful crimes. For the deeds he had made, and the oblivion he had resigned himself to, as he sat there, twirling his own dagger, a small visciously curved reddish blade, glinting in the sunlight, pounding down from the canopy of trees above. There he sat, in the bustling city of Bolstar.

Whatever his name was, he had cast it into the dark abyss, along with his past. He ran a hand through his sand-like hair, a strand falling into almost silver eyes. He pulled it back, in a short pony tail, to keep the strands from his eyes, although a few stray shocks made its way there either way. As people walked by, they took no notice of him, as he sat alone under the trees, twirling his blade staring into oblivion itself.

Who would notice him anyway? A shadow of a human, he was. Nothing more, no heart, just soul and mind, his heart had died away a long time ago. He smiled at his own pettiness, his own loathing of his being, the loating at his own sadness. It bothered him greatly, and he desired to be the way he once was, happy, ignorant... glad to be existent.

Now, all was boring to him. As Sin looked up, he spotted a battalion of armor clad men clanking their way up the street, and up the hill down the avenue to the great Castle. So, rumor was true... war is approaching. Maybe this would be a chance from his seemingly eternal annoyance at life. As he stood, he pulled up his collar, and buttoned it around his mouth, so all that was seen was the bridge of his nose, and his eyes. Wrapped around his neck was a long red scarf, and he wore a long black jacket, a red vest underneath, black slacks and black boots, slacks tucked into them. He twirled his blade one final time, and sheathed it.

Why he carried that blade... was beyond him. He couldnt even use it yet. Nowhere near skilled enough to wield it... but... the meaning it held, kept him clenching that blade close. In his other sheaths on his left side, were two steel daggers. As he stood there, watching the soldiers walk by, he saw a woman walk past him, and he decided to dip his fingers into her purse, and just as he did so...

"THIEF!" She roared, spinning, unsheathing a slim sword Sin didnt even see, and Sin barely was able to dodge, scoring a knick across the bridge of his nose. "Hm." He said, as he watched her, face red, and her anger seemed it had already reached it's pinnacle before his unfortunate choice to steal from her.

"You picked the wrong day to steal from me, scum..." She said, as she threw herself practically at him, and he dodged a blow, jumping backwards, as another swing came close to his face, but he ducked under it, coming up with his knives, metal meeting metal, and the impact threw her stance off, and he jumped backwards onto the top of a market stall. "Want your gold...?" He asked the myrmidon. She threw her blade down.

"GIVE ME IT NOW, DAMMIT!" She roared, so he blinked absently, promptly throwing it at her, scoring a blow off the top of her head, heavy purse slapping against her forehead. She was fuming." BASTARD!" She roared, going to pick up her blade, but Sin came jumping down as she began to lift it, his weight pressing down on the middle of the blade as she lifted the hilt, effectively snapping it. With the side of his heel, he kicked it up, and caught it on the top of his hand. "Tut tut, no more blade." He said, as he balanced it, and this pissed her off more. His show-off ways were very annoying.

"So, what, you can do a few nifty tricks without weapons. But as for with them, im sure you're the most second rate thief." And he shrugged. "But I'm the one with weapons, no?" He said, and she hit him across the face with the flat side of the broken in half blade. "Serves you right." She said, as she dropped it, and begun walking away, money intact, her pride in pieces, blade broken. People were looking at him, and he smiled, as he walked away, juggling a handful of coins he had taken from the purse while he had the chance. "Second-rate, eh?" He said to himself.

"Calm down, caaaaalm down, calm down Terra..." She muttered to herself. "Sonuvabitch, with his flashy stupid moves, thinking he's so cool... wait till I get a new sword, and we'll see if he can break steel... not my fault I'm saving to join the army..." She muttered, and her expression softened, as a look of sadness entered her eyes.

"Hello, once again." Sin said, and Terra jumped. "GOD DAMN!" She said, instinctively reaching to her sheath, now emptied, and then he anger faded, and turned to aggravation as she continued walking. "Why're you following me? Piss off, you've already enough me off enough, do you REALLY want me to throttle you?" She asked, irritably. Sin scoffed. "How uncivilized." He said, and she scoffed this time. "And you're not? Stealing from a lady-" And Sin cut her off. "-A swearing tomboy who likes to play with swords. I don't say that you'd quite qualify for a ... woman." He said, as he looked her up and down.

Long turquoise robe, headband keeping the long dark brown hair from her dark blue eyes, and long deep blue slacks. Myrmidon's never had a tenacity for fine dress. She blinked. "HEY! I am a very fine looking woman-" And Sin cut her off yet again. "-Who seems to have conceit issues." And she sighed. "I give up. So go away." And Sin frowned. "Aw, thats no fun. I was having fun making your life hell." He said, and she glared at him. "Too late, already is." She said, and he blinked. "Is that why you're joining the army?" He asked, and she nodded, but then did a double take. "Wait, were you listening that whole time I was talking to myself?" She asked, and he nodded. "Yes, yes I was." He said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm thinking about joining as well..." And then he began laughing hysterically. "Let's be a team!" He said, almost cheerfully.

Again, Terra was dumbstruck by this strange fellow. "But... I just tried to kill you." She said, and Sin shrugged. "Big deal. I've got nothing better else to do, and if I die, no one will mind, so I might as well join up with someone so if I do achieve death, I'll go down as a warrior who was remembered by at least one person." He said, and Terra blinked. "So, pretty much, you're coming with me, so you don't die completely pointless." And he nodded, a huge grin on his face. "Oh thanks..." She said, and he began laughing as they neared the castle of Bolstar.

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**Hm, not half bad. XD Well, review, and if you so desire, leave me a PM with a custom character for the story, and I'll put them in as soon as I can. As far as now, everything's accepted, but later on, there may be less spots open, so act fast. Well, hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and stay tuned in for the next, and you won't be disappointed.**


	2. Reproachful Words

**Heh, I'm glad, acording to my first reader, it's coming out well. As first reviewer, and first character submit, you'll be coming into the story soon. XD Well, enjoy your chapter. **

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Sin and Terra walked down the avenue and of Bolstar, and he whistled. "I don't think I mentioned it, but my name's Sin... well, not really, but I'll kill you if you call me otherwise." He said with a sweet smile. She nodded, visually unnerved. Sin thought about the turn of events as of late, as he looked away form Terra. Things had begun to pick up lightly, and interesting things were soon to follow. Terra, on the other hand, seemed afraid. "What's wrong? Afraid of death?" He asked, and she nodded feverishly. "YEAH! You can't tell me you aren't!" She said, and he shook his head. "Not really. The only thing that's kept me from death is myself... because I won't die unless I was too weak." He said, and she blinked. "So, what, you look for death?" And he nodded with a crooked grin. "Yeah, theres nothing left interesting in life, so I'll find something more interesting in death... rest, maybe, if there's nothing else."

She blinked. "Nut job. You should get help." and as she looked forward, they saw two people, sitting at what was a stall, but with shade, an outdoor bar of sorts, and an armored man, of maybe the same age of Sin, around seventeen, with his horse tied up, wearing champagne colored plate, and sipping a mug of beer. As he sipped, he ran his polished gauntlet through his dark brown hair. A girl, slim and shorter than he was, with a graceful look about her as she leaned up against the bar, looking bored.

"Kyren... hurry up... We don't need getting in trouble for being later the first day we join..." She said, her long flame-like whipping around her face, a gentle breeze picking up. She sighed, as she enjoyed the breeze, and Kyren, the cavalier, glanced her way, and completely chugged his beer, and stood up. "Sorry, let's go, Lysalia." And he began walking, just as Sin and Terra walked by.

Terra looked towards them. "Hey, did you say you're in the army?" She asked, looking towards the silent couple. Lysalia linked her arm with his, and nodded. "Well, somewhat... Kyren's father is a powerful general... so he's being appointed a captain of a squadron right off, without charge, or testing..." She said softly, and Terra beamed. "Oh really? We're going to join to, right, Sin?" She said, using him as a sort of bait to make new friends.

Her idea of doing this was putting him in a headlock and showing him off like a blade. They nodded, silently, looking at Terra and Sin as if they each had three heads. Lysalia whispered into his ear. "Just be nice, give them a chance... they seem odd, but hell, remember your best friend Cress?" She asked, and he smirked. "Yeah, crazy nut, great guy to be around..." He whispered back. "But his impulsiveness is the reason why he's dead." He said solemnly, and she frowned, pulling him close and hugging him tightly. "Whether or not it was impulsive, he did the right thing, even though it cost him death." She said, and he shrugged. "Whatever, you can decide... I don't feel like it..." He said, and she nodded. "I understand." She whispered, and Sin walked up to them.

"Friends make secrets, secrets don't make friends." He said, wagging a finger at the two. Kyren grunted. "Fine, you can come along, just don't bother me, not in the mood." He said, seeming angry, and sad at the same time. Lysalia smiled and kissed him lightly, and he seemed to perk up. "Well, while I'm at it, I might as well take you guys into my unit. Once you register, come talk to me." He said, and Terra jumped in joy. "YAY! Y'know, this wont be half as bad as I think it will!" She said, and Kyren scoffed. "Wars a lot different than you think. You'll be seeing a lot of comrades dying, for you, for our country... for our safety. It's no social hour." He said, dropping back into a sour mood.

The four were silent, until they made it to the colosiuem, positioned at the foot of the castle, where there were heavily armored knights protecting the main gate. "Identification?" One said, and Kyren flashed him a small badge, and he nodded, and sttod aside. "Bolstar wishes you luck, Captain." The three stood there, and one of the armored generals stood there. "New recruits, yes?" And they all nodded, and he pointed them to a series of booths, where people seemed to be registering.

They all walked over, and began registering, and forking over the money. Sin had already more than enough, Terra forked over her pouch, and Lysalia handed them a slip of paper, and they nodded, and charged her nothing. "Well, now that thats done..." Terra said, flashing her new shiny badge, she bounded over to the guards, where Sin sighed, and rolled his eyes in disgust, as Lysalia follwed behind silently, eyes placid.

They flashed their badges, and walked in, and looked for Kyren, who was now donning new armor, bearing the crest of Bolstar, a flaming sun. His mare was adorned with new armor as well, also bearing the burning sun on its mighty chest. They all walked towards him, and he greeted them with a grim smile. "They're sticking me with all newcomers. I'm nowhere near new, and neither is Lysalia, but still, they're really sticking me with the most motley crew ever." He said, nodding his head towards a strangely assembled group of people.

"They're mainly mages, shamans, archers, and a single mercenary. They're pushing all the unproficient units on me, because I've got no real credibility except that my dad's a leading general." He said, with a grunt. Lysalia shrugged. "You never know, they may be a strong bunch, looks are deceiving." She said, looking to them all.

They all were wearing various strange clothes, each wearing a necklace bearing the burning sun. Then, a man, a sword master, strode over. His eyes were a sickly topaz color, and his short hair was disheveled, and all over the place, a lopsided grin plastered to his face. He wore mainly black, a long black robe down to his knees, with a bright gold sun on his back. "So, Kyren, think you'll be able to manage with this mediocre group, at best?" He said, his katana slung over his back.

"Better than you, Xakaryus, dirty mercenary." Kyren said, fearlessly, looking down at him from his horse. "Lucky you're in good company, you're daddy being one of the Three... or I would've struck you down for that..." He said, launching himself at those last words, and Sin rushed to block the blow.

Midair, in high speed, Sin held out an iron blade, which shattered, as he expected, but then, with a flourish, he unleashed his other knife, and the swordmaster moved easily back, and then, Sin grinned, eyes twinkling, as he reached for his other sheath, and pulled out his other knife, the viscious red one, and with a twirl, lashed out in incredible speed for a thief of his calibur, but Xakaryus easily evaded.

"Well, at least you have one good member... maybe he'll last as long as Cress did..." he said, and Kyren's eyes flared. "Never speak of him again, if you value life." He said, turning, and galloping towards his group, and they all followed, no questions.

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**Ok, theres another! Hope you enjoyed it, and tune in next time! Im still accepting chracter submissions as well. **


	3. Commander Kyren

**I want you guys to cut down on the Myrmidons! Really! I need a balanced party, not a whole bunch of myrmidons, shamans, mages and archers. XD If they were to get into a battle, with this group, they'd all get slaughtered by a few knights, wyvern knights, and cavaliers. Even with the one strong Cavalier already in this group. Try and even it out with a few fighters, or something. Knights would be good. But, anyway, this is just an introduction chapter, to get all of the characters introduced, and I'll get back into the story soon again.

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"Who's this Cress guy?" Sin asked bluntly. Kyren's face showed a mized emotion; between pain and anger. "A fallen comrade." He said, galloping over to the crew. "ROLE CALL! LINE THE HELL UP, ASAP, AND PRESENT YOURSELVES!" Kyren roared, making the crowd jump, and everyone stared towards them, and the new commander of a lesser battalion.**

"I'M GOING TO WHIP ALL YOU SLACKERS INTO FORMATION! YOU BETTER GET USED TO THE YELLING, BECAUSE IF YOU ALL KEEP IT UP LIKE THIS, YOU'LL ALL BE SLEEPING IN THE DIRT, WITH NO DINNER!" He roared, as the strange group scattered and assembled into position. They stood in a crooked line, which infuriated Kyren more.

Using the sheath, he approached one of the Myrmidons, who was chatting to a female mercenary, who was staring straight ahead, back straight, feet together, arms at her sides. She knew what she was doing. "Hey... c'mon, talk to meee. I just wanna get to know you better..." And then he was sharply slapped across the face with the hefty sheath from a large steel blade. The myrmidon went tumbling back, his face stinging. HIs long brown hair got in his green eyes as he stood up quickly, reaching to the side of his baggy green shirt, where his sword hilt was, but it wasn't there. "Thank you." Sin said, walking away with the slim weapon over his shoulder.

"HEY!" He said, as the sheath was brought down on his head, as Kyren reprimanded him. "Moron! This is a camp for the training! NOT SOCIALIZING WITH WOMEN!" And he was lost for words. "But he took my sword!" And Kyren nodded. "You were about to attack me." He said, and he growled. "What is he, your pet?" And Sin looked over. "Huh? I was just getting my friend a replacement blade for when I broke hers..." He said, and the male Myrmidon growled again. 'He's just making an excuse to brown-nose...' He said, as he watched Sin give Terra the new blade.

"AT ATTENTION, PRIVATE!" He roared, and the Myrmidon was ripped from his seething thought, and returned to his usuall mood. "You can present yourself first." He said, and the myrmidon sighed. "Fine.." he said, and he cleared his throat, in mock military tone. "MICHAEL HARPER, MYRMIDON, SIR!" he said, with a grin. "Keep up the sarcasm, and no dinner." Kyren said in response, and Michael rolled his eyes. Kyren looked down the line. "So much work to be done..." He said, as he cleared his throat. "STRAIGHTEN UP ALREADY!" He said, slamming the actual blade against stone, causing a loud clang.

"Everyone after Michael, present!" Kyren yelled, after getting them straightened. The next person down, to Michaels glee, was the mercenary he was hitting on. She was in perfect form, blade at ready against her shoulder. Kyren nodded in approval with a smile. "Good form, present yourself, private." and she nodded, twirling her blade, and sheathing it. "The name's Hanna, SIR!" She said, promptly. Kyren laughed. "It seems you've been an army before. Obvious, for a mercenary." He said, looking over her, appraising her, looking over her long blue hair and green eyes. "Well, at least I have one ordinate ready enlistment... but can you fight? We'll learn later at practice." He said.

Next one down, was a glum looking shaman, who was following the same suit as Hannah, with proper form, but not as tight. But nonetheless, still good enough. He had pale skin, and dark hair, dull black eyes, and thin glasses framing them. His hood was down, and his hair was short, but reaching down to the tips of his eyes. "Present." He said, not one for users of dark magic, of which there were a couple in this group. "... Keith." He said quietly, looking up from analyzing the ground, blank eyes meeting Kyrens stern ones. Hannah, looking forward, spoke to Kyren. "Please, don't be too harsh on my brother, I will pull his load, if he cannot carry it. He's just a bit timid, and not combat ready yet, but he wanted to join because he wanted to protect me." She said, and he looked back to the ground, embarassed. Kyren placed a hand on the fourteen year olds head, playfully. "Will do."

Moving down, he approached another shaman. This one, though, wasn't as timid, and if anything, seemed a bit sly, conniving, even. His hair was long and silver, pulled back into a long braid, his dark green eyes glinting as he smiled at the commander. "Hiyo, Shaman. I'm more than ready enough to battle." He said. Kyren nodded, almost scornfully, at what almost seemed like arrogance in him. The next in line was another mage, looking around nervously. "Hello, commander... I'm Kitch... and I doubt I'm good enough to serve in this squad... but I wanted to join to prove myself to my family..." He said, as he ran a hand through his short brown hair, blue eyes looking around at everyone, as if they were judging him.

He walked down the line, and ran into an archer. "Present." He said, and she nodded. "Faith, professional sharpshooter!" She said, and he looked her up and down. Snow white hair, and sharp auburn eyes, of maybe 18 years of age. She saluted him with a quick grin, and he moved down the line to Sin and Terra, skipping Lysalia, already knowing her. "Present." He said to Sin, who was not even looking in Kyren's direction. "...Huh? Oh." He said, turning around to look to Kyren. "Sin. Professional treasure liberator. Also, I sometimes play with voodoo dolls." He threw in, just for humors sake, making everyone look down the line, at him, and he waved at them, with a twisted smile, pulling out a small white doll. "I havn't decided which of you will be this one, so I'd suggest you be nice to me." He said cheerfully. They all looked away quickly.

Kyren rolled his eyes, and moved on to Terra. "Present." He said, and she nodded. "Terra, noble from the family of Rild." And Kyren nodded, but then did a double take. "Say what!" He said, and she frowned. "I cast off my heritage, so I could gain my own recognition, not live off my family's." She said, and he nodded, looking at her strangely. "Rild?" Sin asked, and Terra nodded. "The richest family in Bolstar." She said, and Sin snapped his fingers. "I shouldve robbed you sooner... mind if you point out your family castle?" He said, and she hit him sharply.

"At any rate... AT ATTENTION!" Kyren roared again, as everyone snapped out of chat, and into the line again. "I will be training all of you today. Today, from now, until we receive a Call to Arms, when we take up our weapons and fight off whatever that may throw itself at our country. We are not to stir up political conflict, but to protect our own home, regardless of our goverment. We are the shield of Bolstar, the iron gate that prevents the good people here from death. Never falter, never lose sight, never lose hope. Steel your hearts, for from now on forward, I will drive you to the very brink, and make each one of you respected by your peers, respected by your families, your country, and respected by yourself. Ready yourselves, because the very turn of each of your stories will be directed by me, and I will lead each of you to greatness." He said, with a dramatic silence. "Now... take up your weapons, and move towards the practice zone, I'm going ot test you all out... see exactly what you're all made of." He said, as they all followed, in a straight single file line, behind their mounted leader, with a new respect.

"Soon, I will tell you all, why, exactly, we need an armed guard." Kyren said, looking back at the group, and they all nodded, and all the other captains looked at Kyren with new respect. Although Xacaryus, stood off to the side, laughing. "When war reaches our door, they'll all fall." He said, laughing hysterically, walking towards his practicing unit.

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**There we go, I should be able to get another chapter in sometime later today, if I'm lucky. Well, hope you enjoyed it, and I'm not really accepting anything for the squad besides heavier units. Everything else will turn up later in the story. Well, hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for another chapter by none other than me. **


	4. The Troop

They all herded into the training zone. Lysalia was humming a tune to herself, and Terra was looking around, interested by the place she was in. Eventually, they got to the arena. "Swordsman, step forward." Kyren called out, and Sin, Michael, Terra, and Hannah stepped foward. Kyren dismounted, and walked away, to a small shed, where people were going in and out of. He came out with a bunch of training weapons.

"How... crude." Michael said, looking at the bulky wooden sword. Kyren forced one into his hands. "It's either you train with this, or you get yourself one." He said, and Michael sighed again. "You're too strict, Commander. Loosen up a bit. I'll take you out to the pub tonight, we could catch up with some ladies..." Michael said, and Kyren stopped him. "The beer, I am good with, but as for women, all I need is Lysalia." He said, glancing at her, as she smiled back. Sin leaned over. "I'll take you up on the beer and women!" Sin said, with a wily grin. "Your treat!" He added.

"Pfft." Michael said, and Sin shrugged. "Oh well, I'll just steal some..." He said, and Kyren gave him a bulky sword as well. He chucked it up. "I don't do big swords." He said, unsheathing a knife, slashing it three different ways, effectively shortening it. Now, everyone had hefty wooden blades. "Michael, spar with Terra. Hanna, spar with Sin. I'll supervise, and ranged units, attack the dummies from a range." He said, and the mages shamans and archers lined up. "Go ahead, warm yourselves up." He said, and Michael launched himself at Sin, who wasn't expecting such speed, and jumped back quickly, out of range of the blow, and frowned. Michael had more power than Sin, but was just a little slower.

Terra and Hannah stood in front of each other, blades at ready, waiting for one or the other to attack. "This is getting stale...quick." Hannah said, lunging at Terra with a simple downward slash, that she simply sidestepped, but this was a ruse on Hannah's part, as she swiftly changed her grip on the handle, and swung at Terra with a huge speed jump in the swing compared to the first, which completely caught Terra off guard. She quickly jumped over it, but the trainer collided with her ankle, and the force from the collision caused her to cringe, and caused her to flip over, face towards the ground.

Fear seized her as everything slowed down, and impulses took over. Extending her hand, she pushed Hannah's trainer into the ground, the force from pushing off giving her enough air to flip back over and land on her feet, as she pointed the wooden trainer at Hannah. "Woo... what a head rush..." She said, clutching her chest, amazed at herself, managing to pull that off. Hannah stared at her, not at all annoyed that Terra had pretty much embarassed her with that stunt, because she realized that she hadn't done it in arrogance. "Hey, don't think I quit just yet!" She said, jumping up and lunging at Terra again.

Another close call whizzed by Sin's face, as he dodged by a hair. He had gotten settled into these dodges, and his mind began to stray... which was a mistake on his part. A heavy blow collided with his ribs, and the impact sent him skidding to the side on his heels. Michael anticipated this movement, and grinned. "Now, for the coup de grace!" Michael said, thrusting the trainer at him with a flourish. Sin remembered the stunt Terra had pulled off, and decided to pull something similiar, being more suited to near-death escapes. As the blade neared him, he ducked down, did a handspring, and launched himself over the blade, and with another handspring off the trainer, he was behind him, and had the vantage.

"Ok, ok, OK!" Kyren roared, as he had to run over to the two to stop it. "THIS IS FRIENDLY, NOT KILL EACH OTHER!" He said, and Sin and Michael frowned. "Sorry..." They said at the same time, and Kyren walked away, shaking his head, moving onto the ranged units.

"At least I don't have to worry about broken bones with you guys... hows it going?" He asked. He walked over to Lysalia. "Hows the magic going?" He asked. Lately, sages had been able to manifest the endless power of the human soul into magic, rendering tomes nearly useless. The only tomes that exist were ancient ones, with instructions on how to manifest the human power of the soul into certain spells. Only some of the most powerful sages existing can learn these scrolls by heart, and most are under tight lock and key. Who wrote those, who knew about the art of this casting back then to create such tomes... is unknown to everyone.

"Well... the winds I can cast have become stronger..." She said, as she flicked her hand at a dummy, and a gust of glowing wind, sharp and deadly looking winds manifested with power ripped and tore it apart. "It's picking up... keep up the work, sweetie." He said affectionately, leaning inwards and kissing her. "How about you?" He asked, walking towards Hiyo. He shrugged, as he thrust a palm at him, and a black shadow erupted from his palm, and flew towards the dummy, swirling around it, diving into it, and out of it. The dummy was scratchless. "It doesn't really rip them apart, it just hurts them, the magic coursing through them, malevolently." And Kyren nodded wearily. These kind of people were why he didn't like Shamans.

He approached Keith. "And how about you, boy?" And Keith held both hands out, without looking up, and a black fire erupted beneath the dummy, setting it on fire, but with a snap, the fire dispersed, and the dummy was mildly burnt. Kyren walked down the line. "Kitch...? How bout you, are you a good mage, or what?" And he sighed. "Not really... do I have to show you...? I really suck..." He said, and Kyren shrugged. "I won't know that until you show me what you can do." He said, and Kitch sighed, as he twirled his wrist, muttered something, and swung his hand down. Suddenly, with a crack of thunder, a bolt came flying down from the sky, in the shape of a blade, splitting the dummy in half.

They all looked pleased with themselves. "Hah, we'll just blow anyone away who approaches us." Hiya said, and Lysalia shook her head. "No, not at all. Humans have resistance to these magics. Magic is power of the soul, and if you have a soul, depending on how strong your soul is, the more your body can re-direct the damaging powers. Humans aren't anything like these dummies." She said, and they all looked disheartened. "Better you know now, rather than get your hopes up in battle, and be let down." She said, and they all understood.

"OY! I HEAR THIS PANSY UNIT'S IN NEED OF SOME TANKS!" A woman yelled, walking in with a heavily armored knight, and a mounted girl with shoulder length wavy hair, carrying a staff. "So... far..." The knight panted, practically a mass of deep royal blue armor. "...Hello, Commander Kyren. You're father assigned us to your unit, noticing how you got a bit too many sub-par units... I think. This is Kyren's unit, right, August?" The knight panted. The girl mounted nodded, and scanned the units, with a sigh. "Yes... it is... Glen." She said, dismounting and leading the horse over to Lysalia, flashing a weak smile.

The woman with long black hair and blue eyes, apparantly a warrior, skinny, with slim strong muscles, approached Kyren. "Oy, you needed some tanks, no?" She said, and he nodded. "Yes, it would be useful..." He said, and she nodded. "Well, then let Jacquelin, Glen, and August be at your service! We'll help even things out between these pitiful mages, and myrmidons." She said, casting an acid glance their way. Kyren shrugged, not enjoying the use of words. "Thats all fine and well... by the way... are you a... female fighter? Like... axe and brute strength?" He asked, skeptically, and she nodded, flexing a muscle. "FUCK YEAH!" She roared, thrusting her axe upwards.

Glen walked over to the dummies. "Where am I? He asked, looking around, confused. He then spun, and realized there was a dummy behind him. "AH! ENEMY!" He yelled, surprised, twirling his lance, effectively cleaving it in half. "DIEEEE" He said, stabbing it multiple times. "Waiiit... Oh." He said, looking through his visor that obscured his vision. "..It's just a dummy..." He said, standing back up straight, like a guard. After a minute of people staring at him, they all heard a loud rumbling emenating from his armor... snoring. He was asleep."Jeez... we've got the weirdest group in the universe. A depressed shaman, a lecher myrmidon, an emo mage, crazed warrior chick, and a knight who falls asleep after attacking inanimate objects... what's next? Effeminate wyvern knights?" Sin asked himself.

Time had rushed by, the team being drilled by Kyren, and Kyren decided they had done a good job, and that he'd take them all out to a night on the town. What an interesting night it would become for the troop, as night falls. Soon, the true meaning of war and what the whole war is about will unveil itself...

* * *

**CLIFFY! Hah, sorry, had too. **

**More introductions this chapter... it's hard to write, all these new characters. XD I think I will start stopping with the thrusting of new characters into the story line. For now, this will do, but you guys can keep submitting, but I just need to get settled in with these guys. Well, hope you enjoy the chappy, and leave me a review, and a PM if you have any character submissions. Tune in next time, for another chapter from yours truly. **


	5. War's come aknocking

They all walked into the bar at nightfall. "'EY! A ROUND OF BEER, BAR WENCH!" Jacquelin yelled out, causing everyone to jump, and one of the women cast a scornful look at her, and her face lit up with happyness. Slamming the axe into the table this particular unlucky soul was sitting at. "Ello, mate! Have you got sumthin to say to me?" She said, and they cleared from the large table. "Well, we've got ourselves a table for us, now that we cleared them fags from the table." She said, peppering her sentences with profanity. Everyone had sat themselves, at one table or another. The largest table consisted of Kyren, Lysalia, August, Michael, Hannah, Faith and Jacquelin. Sin sat at another table, with Terra, but got up and walked around, popping in on other conversations. Kitch and Keith made fast friends, and Hiyo decided to sit himself with the two children, deciding to take these two under his wing. "I'm just being a nice guy!" he said, when the two accused him of being a child molester.

Glen, though, stood smack dab in the middle of the group, not moving. Sin walked by with a mug of beer in hand, and tapped the side of his helm with it. "Hello...? You in there? Why don't you sit down...?" He said, and he put his face against the visor, trying to see if he was breathing. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK, HIT THE DECK!" Glen roared, from his stupor, nearing toppling over Sin with his loud voice. "What the hell?" He said, as Glen started snoring again. Jacquelin laughed, her mouth full of ham she was ripping off the bone. "Ah, he's just a lost and confused ex-commander. He's been fighting out of country for a year about, but came back at Kyren's loving Daddy's request." She said, and she got up and tipped him over, and he slammed to the ground, still snoring.

"Aye, he's like a cow. And it's just as fun tipping him over as it is watching him try to get up." She said, sitting back down. Sin laughed, and drained his mug, and walked back over to Terra, and sat himself down. "So... I have a question... what's the real reason you left your cushy position at home?" He asked, and she frowned. "I told you already. I wanted my own recognition." He sipped his drink, his dull eyes boring into hers. "I know people a lot better than you, I've stal- watched them probably more than you have." He said, choosing his words carefully. "...At any rate, I know when you're lying. You're just like this other girl I once knew... when you get angry, your mouth twitches riiiight there..." He said, poking the left corner of her mouth, making her twitch just as much as he said. "...And when you lie, it twitches exactly the same." Sin said, and She covered her mouth.

"Fuck!" She said, and then she thought. "Hey... wait... were you that person I saw following me around the courtyard in the shadows for a few years...?" She asked, and his eyes dilated. "Uh, no." And he walked away. "I'm gonna get some fresh air." He said, leaving the company of his fellow soldiers.

Kitch and Keith were talking, with Hiyo sitting there, looking back and forth to them. Keith kept glancing nervously over to Hiyo, who smiled pleasantly. Keith leaned over to Kitch. "He makes me feel REALLY uncomfortable... like... an unwanted uncle who's overinvolved in a nephew who doesn't like him." He said, and Hiyo coughed. "Um, I could hear that." He said, green eyes sharpening. Keith looked at him, panic spreading through him at Hiyo's cold expression, which instantly softened. "Not a problem at all, though, little one, I'll teach you all there is to know about the dark powers of your soul." He said with a pleasant smile that made Keith cringe, and Kitch inched away from the two, creeped out. "K-kitch... don't leave me alone with him... I don't want him 'teaching' me anything... Hannah!" He said, standing up, and running to his older sister.

Hannah was chatting pleasantly with Jacquelin along with Lysalia, and Faith. Michael had his arm around Faith, who didn't take too much notice of it, and kept slowly shrugging it off. "You have such amazing hair, Faith..." He said, simply, running a hand along her white hair. She almost blushed, and moved his hand away. "Unless I let you go on a date with me, I'd suggest you don't hit on me, unles you want me to feather you." She said, and Michael grinned. "Is feather some sort of dirty word?" He asked almost cutely. She smiled pleasantly. "No, it means I will lodge an arrow in your chest." She said. Michael frowned. "Damn... well, I'll have to take you out sometime." And Faith shrugged. "Maybe." She said, standing up, walking away, towards the bar, and Michael looked at her walk away.

"Attractive one, she is." He said, getting up and following her, and at that moment, Keith ran to Hannah. "Hannahhhhh, the other shaman is trying to seduce me..." And Hiyo looked appalled. "I am not! I'm just trying to teach him how to harness his own potential!" And a hefty steel sword was pointed at his face. "Touch him, and you die." She said harshly, a strand of azure hair falling into her eyes. Hiyo gulped. "When you're ready to learn more about your craft, Keith, just ask me." He said, walking away to a lonely table, sighing and shaking his head. Kyren eventually, got bored of being around the others, and took Lysalia by the hand and walked towards the bar, and seemingly bought a room, and went upstairs.

August had watched Sin walk out, and had looked over his pulled back short sand-like hair, and stared into his silver eyes, her brown eyes meeting his, and she felt her face turn red, and she looked away quickly. Maybe... she could have what Lysalia and Kyren had together with him. That's why she joined... to find someone, and to do what she's loved her entire life; to help others. But a hole in her heart kept her distant from everyone, and she desired to fill it.

Sin stopped before reaching the door. "Uhm... hello?" He asked Autumn, his placid eyes boring into hers. His eyes had that trait; like they could see through anything. She realized she hadn't looked away, and now she had turned more red than before. "S-s-sorry..." She said, stuttering, and everyone in the troop was looking at the two, because Sin had leaned in, and lifted her face with a single finger beneath his chin. "Sure?" He said, with a faint smile, at playing havoc with this overly timid girl. She turned even redder, to a shade thought impossible.

"Well, when you're ready to talk to me, I'll be waiting." he said, as if he knew what she was thinking, and making everyone else curious. To be honest, he had no idea what she was thinking. He was just completely fishing for reactions, and he got the one he had hoped for. Then he stepped out, and Terra followed behind, with now, more than one question to ask him. Sin stood outside, to the right of where the door opened.

"So you've been the person that has been following me around my house! I told my parents I wasn't crazy!" She said, and Sin shrugged. "That's not of any importance, that I used to follow you around. I just realized you were her today. It was just a HUGE coincedence... but what I want to know, is why you left your family." He said, and she frowned. "I'd rather not say." She said, and Sin shrugged, not looking at her, but into the darkness of night. "That's fine... but I know you're not telling the truth, I used to watch you constantly, I actually know you better than you do. I've actually had quite a few questions I've been wanting to ask you, that I just thought about today." He said, and she twitched. "You were in my room, too, that one night, huh?" And he grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah. I got bored one night. Insomnia does funny things to you." He said, with a laugh, but then stopped abruptly. "Wait..." He said, in a muted tone, and then he pushed Terra out of the way. A flaming arrow whizzed by, almost hitting Terra, and arrows of fire rained down on the city, four or five lodging themselves into the roof. "SHIT!" He said, as he ran inside. "EVERYONE, WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" Sin said, panicked. "Where's Kyren! The bar is burning!" He said, and Jacquelin swore loudly. "He's upstairs, doing things that aren't quite the call of duty." She said, and she ran upstairs. "KYREN, THE CITY IS UNDER ATTACK BY THE EREANS!" She roared from upstairs, and Kyren's voice was picked up.

"WHAT? WE HAD A TRUCE!" He yelled, and there was the sound of heavy thumps, and a few obseceneties were thrown around. He ran downstairs, half dressed, latching on his plate armor. "Those lying deceiving bastards... all over a stupid blood fued..." He said, and he hefted his heavy blade onto his belt. At those words, Terra looked worried. Sin frowned. "For the less-informed of us, would you mind informing us?" He asked, and Kyren grimmaced. "Pretty much, Bolstar, and Erean are sister countries. They have the same founders, but fell apart when the last male never married and never had children. The families broke apart, and rumor has it, that man with no family, left Erean, which was the actual place where the two once co-existed, and settled out here, starting Bolstar. They say one of the many noble families bear his lineage. Thats why Erea always stirs up conflict, starting up accusations, and pointing fingers, threatening with war. We made a truce so the poor innocents of Bolstar could live in peace, but Erea is filled with hot-blooded lords, and they easily influence the goverment. We have been afraid of war for a while, hence the training." He said, and Sin nodded.

"My question... why do they want the true heir to the point where they'd sack a country?" He asked. Kyren frowned. "Because they hate how that man left their homeland, lefet the place to fall into ruin without his guidance, and how he 'betrayed' them, and left and founded a new country, and lied about new children, and stupid petty things." He said, and they all looked confused. "To be blunt, they're all being sore losers, and pansies. They can't lead themselves, so they cry about their leader leaving them, and founding some new place." Jacquelin said, and everyone stood up and left the burning building, and readied themselves for war...


	6. Fires of War

They all stood outside, weapons ready. "Where the hell's Glen?" Jacquelin roared, and Sin laughed. "You left him tipped over inside the burning building, moron." And she scowled. "I'll deal with you later." She said, and ran inside.

"Helloooo? ... Where is everyone?" He said, flailing around on the ground, as everything got hot. "Why's everything so hot? Where am Iiiiiiii?" he asked, and Jacquelin ran in, and grabbed him by a gauntleted hand, and lifted him up. "Get up, stupid ass, we're under attack." And he stood up quickly. "WHAT! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! HIT THE DECK!" Glen said, running towards and plowing through the weak wooden wall of the inn.

Outside, there could be heard the sound of soldiers tramping through the cities, and setting fire to random buildings they passed. "We come seeking the true heir of Erea, the real king, hand them over, and we will spare the rest of your precious town." A harsh voice called out. Kyren frowned. "Ok, here's the plan... I'll take all the heavy sword units, and we'll charge the main force setting the buildings on fire. I want the mages and thieves and Myrmidons to travels in packs of two, striking from the shadows. We meet up back here, by daybreak, if we succeed pushing off this siege force. There should be other forces within the town doing the same, and if you meet any, team up. If we cannot win, we all meet at the great oak of Bolstar, on the hill five miles out. Disperse, and may the gods be with you." He said, taking Hannah, Jacquelin, Glen, and Lysalia.

Keith walked up to Hiyo. His sister had left him, with a hug. "We'll see each other again, don't worry." She said, the words still ringing in his ears. "...Hiyo...? Would you mind... coming with me?" He asked, and Hiyo smiled. "I will protect you with my life, little boy. I want to take you as my apprentice, and teach you. Like a son... the son I never had." He said, remeniscing. Keith nodded. Terra went with Michael, at his request, even though she threw a glance at Sin, and he shrugged. "Dontcha worry, we'll meet up again." He said, as he looked at August's horse. "That's not exactly stealthy..." He said, and she frowned. "...But... she's been with me since I was a little girl..." She said softly.

"Alright. Take her..." He said, and Kitch looked around terrified. "W-what about me? I have no one to pair with!" He said. Sin frowned. Poor little twitchy kid. "You can come with us. Provide back-up for the loud horse and me if I get surrounded. Never show yourself until UTTERLY nessescary." He said. August and Kitch nodded. "C'mon, let's get going..." He whispered into the night.

"DIE!" Kyren roared, charging the fire brigade with his small group of people from the darkness. "HAH!" Kyren yelled, bringing his blade low, as he chopped into a myrmidon, taking clear off an arm, and killing him with the hefty blade. Hannah jumped at another myrmidon, bringing down her own large sword, smacking away his blade, and with viscious speed, she brought the blade back up, and slit his throat diagonally. "DIEEE" Glen roared, as he impaled about three more myrmidons with his hefty lance, and then he looked at them. "Hmm..." And then he held them over a piece of burning building, setting them on fire, and began swinging it at more light units, taking out a mage and healer while he was swinging it around.

Jacquelin was laughing as she brought down her steel axe into a poor mounted unit's horse. "DOWN YEH GO!" She said, dragging the horse down with her intense strength. The unit jumped off. "They didn't say we'd be up against such insane resistance! What the fuck is wrong with you people?" he said, running away. "Lysalia...?" Kyren said, wiping blood from his blade. "Winds of destruction..." She said, and flicked her hand, and a burst of wind picked up, and slammed him abruptly into a stone wall, and he slumpted over, dead.

"They were all weaklings, barely trained... but then again, we're all seasoned warriors... we've all seen battle more than just once or twice... I'm just worried about everyone else..." Kyren said, to his small group. They all nodded, and the only one who seemed winded was Hannah. Mercenary she was, but she still wasn't used to the sight of bloodshed and the heavy stench of it weighed on her. "...Let's move on, ok?" She said, thinking about her own brutal maneuver as she fought that unsuspecting myrmidon. Kyren nodded, galloping into the darkness, towards where more fires where springing up, with Glen tagging behind, his lance still adorned with a dead body, set ablaze.

Keith and Hiyo were running towards where the streaks of flaming arrows were being fired from. "Keith, we'll be taking these archers out. Attack without remorse, and kill them, so no more innocents will be killed." Hiyo said, and they approached a stairwell in the dark, that lead up to the top of the wall, one of many entrances to the top. They walked in, and began running up the stairs, Hiyo leading the way. "Hey... did you hear something?" A voice said from around a corner in the hallway.

"Crap..." Hiyo said, eyes narrowing in the darkness, as he began tracing the air with his hand. "Darkness dagger." he said, and Keith heard someone turn the corner, and then there was a sound of something whizzing through the air, and then, the sound of liquid hitting the ground, and the smell of blood reached Keith's nostrils. He began panicking, and felt Hiyos hand clench his shoulder. "Death... is something you'll become accustomed to. Thats where your soul gets it's power." He said, and Keith was too young to understand. "Death is ever present... you became a shaman, because of your soul getting close to the essence of death. It has felt the power of death, and since, has tried to be close to it, causing your dark powers, right?" Hiyo said, leaning against the wall, listening for more people coming.

"...yeah..." Keith said, shuddering. "I don't want to talk about it, but... I know what you mean. Don't be afraid of death, because within our souls, lies death itself? Fear of death means fear of our power, causing no progress, right?" And Hiyo smiled through the darkness. "Very good, you're catching on very quick." He said. "You'll make a powerful Druid one day." Hiyo said, and he began running up the stairs. "Dispel." He said, and the dagger of black dissappeared. "Maybe I'll teach you that spell one day. It's very useful, specially if left alone to ourselves, with no powerful attacking units to defend us. It works like a magic blade, its attack comprised of our magic power, not strength." He said. Keith nodded. They kept pushing upwards, silencing occaisonal opponents with quiet black magics.

Michael and Terra rushed through the dark alleys at high speeds. "Hey, after this, wanna go out for dinner?" He asked, and Terra scoffed. "Please. We're at war, not a resteraunt." She said, and he frowned. "Why are all the girls here so uptight?" He asked, and she coughed. "Because we came here to fight, not be hit on by a lecher." and he sighed. "So, what, no dating on the side?" He asked. She smiled. "Yes, on the side, but you make it seem like the one thing you have on your mind is dating, not fighting." He frowned. "Do I? Well, of course the fighting's first on my mind, so I can date lovely ladies like you!" he said, but then realized that remark defeated his own statement.

Then suddenly, another myrmidon rushed out of nowhere and charged Michael. "Die, Bolstarian!" He yelled, slashing at him, but Michael met the flat side of his blade with his own. "Uh oh, you made a big no no!" He said, sidestepping, sliding his blade down the opposing myrmidon's blade, cutting a finger off, the thumb, causing him to drop his weapon, and yelp in pain. "Now, the coup de grace!" He said, with a flourish, thrusting the blade into his throat, twisting it, kiling him effortlessly.

Terra stood there blinking. That man was dead. Simply, dead. Life fleeing from his body, through a gaping wound in his neck. She had never seen someone dead like that before. Someone's life, so easily cut from that of the major thread of life... and Michael seemed unfazed. "What...?" He asked her, and she shook her head. "Nothing." And then they heard hoofbeats behind them. "Shit. A cavalry unit?" Michael said, and a heavily armored horse mounte unit approached them, with an axe. "SHIT! A GREAT KNIGHT!" Terra exclaimed. A chuckling emenated from his helm. "Resistance... results in death." He said, lunging towards them, but they both instinctively evaded as the axe missed by near inches.

"Hm, maybe I should wear you two down, before I kill you. You two must be skilled to have evaded a blow from me." He said, snapping a finger. "Kill them." And suddenly, the two were surrounded by a good fifteen units, half of which were axe wielding warriors. "We've got a weapon, evasion, speed and skill advantage over them... but there's fifteen of them, and two of us." Michael said. "Fun odds." He said, and Terra sighed. "We're pretty much dead." She said, flexing her wrist as she prepared to take on overwhelming odds. "Don't worry, we'll live to even the odds with that bastard Great Knight." He said, as he jumped over an axe blow, scoring a slash across their chest in their recoil. Terra sidestepped, and then kicked away their axe, and thrusted her slim sword into their chest, which, after, they were still alive, amazingly. These warriors all had quite the endurance apparantly. "This is gonna be one long night..." Michael said.

Sin, August and Kitch were running through the avenue, and Sin heard the gallop of an approaching heavy unit. He signaled for a stop. Suddenly, a heavily armored man rushed by. "Whoa." He said, and then when they knew he had left, they all started moving again. They looked at Sin, and he was drenched in sweat, and panting. "That... was... Erish." He said, twitching, and clutching his face. He began wringing his hands together. "W-w-we need re-reinforcements. If he's here, he's gonna f-f-ind me... and where he is... th-th-there's bound to b-be him..." He said, and he began running, running fast, in terror, stumbling, nearly falling, towards the borders of town. "Whats wrong with him?" Kitch asked August, and she shook her head. "Not sure..." She said, hoisting Kitch onto the horse.

Erish rode his horse around. "I swore... I felt him... he was here... was he not?" He asked himself, as he sat atop his black, fiendish mare. He held a hefty shield, and his armor was a deep dull azure color, almost blending in with the night. Over his back, was that devilish axe. "Sin..." He asked, charging off into the growing forblaze of Bolstar. "...They came for the heir..." He said, riding through the fire, and rubble. "...But we came to finish off our entangled pasts with you." He said, peering into the fire, with a grin.


	7. The First Taste of War

A lone hooded figure walked down the alleyway. "Youuu...mussst...liiive..." He mumbled, a low raspy noise instead of a voice. He wore a sleeveless cloak, black cheastplate with a blazing sun painted across the front. Black pants tucked into metal-shod boots, two sword sheaths at his sides. "I...will...kill...you...all..." He rasped out, extending heavily scarred arms, and then swiftly reached in, and pulled out two swords, one of a mercury looking color, and another of obsidian, infused with red veins snaking its way from the hilt to the edges, and he held them at his sides, dragging behind him.

"Death...to...all..." He rasped, as swordmasters began jumping down into the alley. "Hey, stupid, drop your weapons, or we'll tear you apart." And the man stopped, tilting his head, cold mist erupting from the dark abyss of his hood. "...I...dare you." He said, with a low laughter as their tempers flared, and they all launched themselves at him, rocketing at him at high speeds, but he kept on laughing.

"Dusk...twilight... have...your taste... of blood." He said, as he dodged three blows, and with a strange swing, while he leaned back, Twilight sunk deep into a swordmasters arm, and they veins began to pulsate, as they drained his wound of blood. "WHAT THE HELL!" He asked, as his swordarm went limp, and another swordmaster lunged at him, and scored a stab deep into his chest, and saw a grinning scarred face, as blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. "Your dead!" The swordmaster laughed, and he began laughing as well, spewing blood onto him. "DIE!" The strange man yelled, thrusting Dusk deep into his opponents chest, as swordmaster's face turned from triumph to terror, as the life fled from his face, turning plae white, his eyes even losing color, as he dropped dead, and the last swordmaster, terrified, stepped back.

"Are... you the Terror of Bolstar!" He asked, and the gaping wound were the blow hand landed had dissappeared. "...Yes." He muttered, the two blades throbbing, as he held them limply at his side. "Oh god... oh god, shit!" The swordmaster said, running away, running as fast as he could, but he ran headlong into someone. "...I said...death...to all..." The man panted out, as if living was painful for him. The swordmaster was terrified. "I do...believe... it was you...Ereans... who made me...live like this..." He panted out, raising a blade, bringing it down swiftly into his skull. "...I don't...forgive any of you..." He rasped, kicking the bloodless body over, walking slowly away from the scene.

Elsewhere...

Sin kept running for dear life... What was Erish doing here? He wasn't part of the Ereans... or had he joined, just to get him? After all those years of hiding from those two, he suddenly gets caught, when life was picking up... he said he was ready to die... but not yet... he had something left to do... He thought, as he ran into a group of people fighting off cavaliers.

"Ey! Help here, now!" A middle aged man called out, with unkempt hair, and a large scar over his left eye. He was wearing full plate, as was his white steed. He swung at an opposing rider's sword, as he plunged his heavy lance deep into him, dragging him off his own horse, and slamming him into the next rider who approached him, knocking him off his horse as well.

Besides him was a mercenary, who was carrying a strange glowing green blade, and he had many other blades on his sheath, also glowing different colors, and one that didnt glow whatsoever. "Fucking wyverns..." He muttered, as he swung his blade at one flying above head, and all of a sudden, a heavy wind picked up around it, and it was dragged swiftly into the ground, where the wyvern's wings were broken. The paladin rushed over, and drove his lance into the rider, before the rider had any idea of what rushed at him in the darkness. "Heresy... any one else of our group left over? What about Carlos, Aidan, and Nadia?" He asked, and Heresy, the mercenary, shrugged, adjusting his shield. "Bah, they were just magic casters... nothing against them personally, but we could do with out them..." He said.

Suddenly, a wyvern right behind Heresy roared, and Heresy was paralyzed by fear. "...How'd I not notice!" He said, and suddenly, over his shoulder, an arrow found itself a snug home in the wyverns eye, deep into it's skull, rendering it dead, and the rider jumped off, and began running.

"Let's see how you like to be hunted on foot..." They all heard, as a wyvern with a blazing sun painted on it chest flew over head, accompanied by a pegasus knight. Hereesy looked around. "Where the hell did the arrow come from?" He asked, and a girl of average height stepped out from the shadows, laughing. "Had you scared, huh, Heresy?" She asked, and the merc, dressed in a long overcoat, with a light breastplate, bearing the emblem of Bolstar, nodded. "You should stop playing hero and waiting last second to save people, it'll get someone killed, Siham..." He said, and she giggled. "Where's the fun in that?" She asked, and Henesy glared at her. "Not getting killed." The twenty-four year old mercenary said to the twenty-two or so year old archer.

"Pfft, if you don't wanna die, then save yourself!" She said, and Herest got annoyed. "Ugh, that's what you're for! SUPPORT!" He said, and the Paladin shushed them. "Hold up you two, who're these guys?" He asked, approaching the twitchy Sin, and August and Kitch, who were still in awe of these three's skill. "The name's Balhd." He said, and Sin nodded. "...You havn't a great knight come by, have you?" Sin asked, and Balhd asked. "Yes, the Grand Commander... what squad are you from...? You don't look very strong... are you the backwater units that were pushed on the Grand Commander's son Kyren?" and Sin nodded. "No great knight in dark blue? With a big scary axe?"

"The Grand Commander wields a big axe... but it's not scary... almost inspirational, actually, seeing him hold up his great white axe over his head, rallying the men to defense..." Balhd said, with a grin. "So, you guy's are from squad four, Kyren's little troop. He's got some able men, from the little I've seen..." He said, and Sin nodded, yeah yeah, but if you see a big scary great knight, hide me..." Sin said, a crazed twitch taking over his right eye. "Ok..." Balhd said with an incredulous look on his face.

Siham walked over to them. She wore a long blue patched and worn skirt that reached mid-calf and a light green sleeveless shirt with a brown leather vest and brown boots. She had freckles all over her cheeks, and her hair was short, curly and bright orange. "Uhm... should we team up...?" She asked, shyly, not knowing this bunch. "Yes... it'd be the best idea..." Autumn said matching Siham's own timidity. "Should we look for Aidan and Nadia, and Carlos?" Siham said, turning to Heresy and Balhd. "Yes, I think us and them were the only one's who survived the camp slaughtering... everyone who had dinner died of poison... how the hell they managed that stunt, is beyond us..." He said, shaking his head, and the thought struck Sin. Thats why there were so little units besides them; they had all died if they partook in the army's main dinner...

Kyren took another heavy blow, but his armor deflected it, but it knocked the wind out of him, and his energy was fading fast. Where did all these warriors come from? They leaked out of the shadows, ten by ten, with insane determination, and suicidal tendencies, throwing themselves by the dozens to tear down whoever was left. Hannah was panting as she weakly swung at another warrior, cutting deep, but he still chased her down. She had no energy left, no will to move her feet, so she stood there, waiting for her death at the end of the axe. But that death never came.

"Thank me later..." Michael said, covered in blood, his blade drenched and notched. He handed her a vulnerary, and she looked at it. "It's the last one, and me and Terra are fine." He said, and Terra was there too, fending off blows, driving her blade into one warrior after the other. They did not fall easily, and when one fell, another came to take it's place. "At this rate... we'll never take the castle again..." He said, and he growled. "I have to prove myself..." He said, lifting his heavy blade, and he brought it down into another warrior. "FIGHT THEM BACK!" Kyren roared, and suddenly, as if on cue, bursts of magic shot from behind them, totalling the front rank that was pushing the group back.

Kyren turned, and saw Keith, Hiyo, accompanied by another shaman and two monks. "We found them on the way here, and decided to take them with us." Terra said with a self-accomplished grin, her eyebrown split and one arm limp, from a heavy cut on it. Jacquelin laughed. "Hah, the little sword-girl's proving useful!" She said, even her, the endless fountain of energy, was slowing down, but a new spike of energy had entered her, as from the back ranks, there were six magic users, and an archer reinforcing the front, consisting of her, Kyren, Glen, Hannah, Michael, and Terra.

"ONWARD!" Kyren yelled, as they all began hacking and slashing with a new morale, cutting down the front lines.

"Impressive... that he's able to be killing so many, with so little... and so untalented they are, as well..." A man said looking down from the window. "That's my son for you..." Another man said, to the right of him, standing in the darkness. "Is... this utterly nessescary? Is the heir THAT important?" He asked the man standing there, and the light shone on him. It was Erish. "Yes... it is... they alone have the blood needed..." He said, and Kyren's father sighed from the shadow. "Well... I know Sin is in Kyren's group... if you and your companion are that interested... take the shadows, and go. Find him, and leave the rest of the ruined Bolstar be." He said, and Erish laughed. "No, can't do that. I was given my chance at Sin at the cost of this town. Truthfully, I would have never accepted such mindless slaughter unless Sin was involved." Erish said.

"You've lost your soul, havn't you?" Kyren's father asked. Erish began laughing. "Could you tell that easily?" Erish asked. Kyren's father nodded. "I know my oldest son well... you've changed... sad, that you'd sacrafice your soul for this kind of power in return for Sin and the heir... do you even know where he is? The heir, rather." Kyren's father asked. Erish shook his head. "No... but I can feel him... he's somewhere in here... all I have to do... is collect the heir, law waste to this pitiful capital, then me and my companion finish our past with Sin... and the world's as good as ours. But don't worry father, I won't forget you and my little brother... he has no idea who I even am, huh?" He asked, and Kyren's father shook his head.

"No." And Erish laughed. "Good. That'll make this more fun..." He said with a laugh, walking into the shadows. The Grand Commander sighed. "It's sad... how my son could so easily fall to the darkness to gain power... to rule it all... he plays himself off as a pawn to become king..." The Grand Commander said, sighing. "Kyren will do him in, one day." The Great Commander said, touching the wall, and exiting using a hidden passage. "General of Defense... Terror of Bolstar... good luck with the clean-up..." He said, dissappearing.

They were successfully pushing them back. "KEEP IT UP!" No more arrows of fire fell, no more fire brigades rushed the city, and it seemed the streets were empty, the final force being these warriors, faces obscured by helms, attacks relentless, blockading the castle, but the numbers were fading fast. "Hey, Commander! We brought the last units alive!" Sin called out, and Kyren turned around, and saw another mercenary, an archer, a paladin, and Kitch, August, and Sin himself. "HURRY! ANYONE WITH WEAPONS, UP FRONT! AUGUST, HEAL US ALL!" He called out, and everyone looked relieved, healing was on its way, as they began cutting down the last rank.

August galloped back and forth, spreading relief to the heavy units. After a little while, all of the mindless warriors were gone. "Good work everyone!" Kyren called. Suddenly, a heavy knight mounted on a black mare erupted from the shadows, and lunged at the group. Everyone scattered. "Hello Sin... Kyren..." He said, laughing darkly. Sin's eyes dialated in terror. "Oh god..." he said, and there was the sound of clanking armor from behind them, and the dragging of blades.

"...Leave...this...place..." The lightly armored man said, and the clanking armored man was twice as bulky as Glen, but moved rather easily. Glen, was sleeping, dentless. "Yeh, ya should, unless you wanna get da shit beatin' outta ya." The heavily armored man said, a blazing sun on his back, dragons inscribed in silver along his granite colored armor. Everyone besides Kyren and Sin had moved back, Sin, paralyzed out of fear, and Kyren not backing down. "...I...won't... let them... die." Terror said, and the General laughed. "Dun worry bout it, there's no way dis pansy can take the two of us at the same time."

Erish frowned. As much as he disliked it, he couldnt take on these two, nevermind with all the mages in the back, who'll pound him with as many different kinds of magic within three seconds as possible. "Maybe... but remember this, Sin... and the heir if he is with you..." He said, scanning the troops. "...The General and Terror will not always be with you to save you..." He said, backing his horse up into the shadows. Terror sheathed his blades, and breathed heavily, and looked at Kyren. "Keep... an eye on... Sin..." He said, and The General looked to Kyren as well. "Yeh father sends his regards. He was outta town today, so he wasn't able to protect Bolstar..." The General said, the second of the three. "...We'd suggest... you left..." Terror said. Kyren nodded. "We'll...go...down with the... city..." Terror said. The General nodded. "If we can, we'll keep dat Erish guy away, so yeh can escape for long enough to get outta his senses." He said.

"Get out... now... you... are the last... survivors... of Bolstar..." Terror said, panting heavily. "And... don't forget... your past, Kyren." Terror said, and Kyren's eyes widened in surprise. "I won't..." He said, turning and leaving with his troops from Bolstar... the ruined metropolis.


	8. Interlude

Here's a little interlude to everything, describing all the characters and such. Enjoy! It's not in order, it's written as it came to mind, so Im not taking favorites here. Enjoy the descriptions!

Kyren:

A cavalier of eighteen years of age, the same as Sin. He wears medium weight forest-green plate, and usually, wields hefty blades suited for dismembering one-hits.

He's deeply involved with his signifigant other, Lysalia, a skilled mage he's known for many years. He promised to tie the knot with her after this war, the last, he promised, he'd partake in. Anyone who manages to get past his rough exterior, rather, anyone he allows through, is rewarded with a loyal and trusting friend. To the troops, they've all only seen his rough commanding side, the side, although rough, has ensured him many wins in skirmishes. He's unfaltering steel blue eyes belies his determination to succeed in any situation, a trait he gained from his father.

Unknown to him, his older brother, who he doesn't even know exists, has taken up alliance with some dark force, to straighten some tangled past with Sin, and to snatch the heir away, and take over the continent. As said, Erish is apparantly playing the pawn to become king. This also leaves much suspiscion to his father, the Grand Commander, who didn't stop his son, and lied to the two others of the Three of Bolstar, The Terror and the General of Defense. Kyren is completely clueless.

Lysalia:  
Not much period is known much about this magic-casting red-head, who keeps everything hidden behind her green eyes. Close to Kyren, she's an avid mage, and has been known to more than once to save Kyren's skin from a close encounter with death. Soon, though, her past may be uncovered...

She wears usual mage clothes, a long cloak, usually pulled around her tightly, and has an unusual affinity for wind.

Sin:

Although more is known about this strange man, of eighteen years, what is known, is entangled in chaos, pain, and quite a bit of darkness. Somehow, Sin has some connection Erish, one of the two commanders of the gargantous siege on Bolstar. He had lived in Bolstar, since apparantly, ten years of age, and had been stal-, watching, rather, Terra. He's got chin-length sand-colored hair, which he keeps pulled back in a ponytail, and he has unnerving silver eyes. In a group, he brings soul and humor into everything. Although a show-off, he is far from unbeatable, although he puts himself out that way.

There has only been one thing the troop has seen instil fear into Sin; and that has been Erish. He and Erish have some kind of connection, and this has yet to be uncovered... perhaps it has something to do with his sinful past? Perhaps... that'd be a question left answered later.

Terra:

A noble who left her family in Bolstar, taking up the sword. She keeps her long dark hair pulled back in a long ponytail, headband keeping her hair from her deep blue eyes. After the battle, she returned to her mansion home, to find her entire family dead, killed by the shadow warriors commanded by Erish. Seeing the loved bodies of her family strewn across her foyer, she vowed revenge upon him. Sin, thankfully was there,and kept her from doing something incredibly stupid. Although Sin never knew Terra's family, he had known them by watching them and had grown envious, and even grew unspoken bonds between them, although he never got to speak to them; he viewed them like afamily he never had.

Taking up her blade, her vow is as follows; To become strong enough to kill Erish in one viscious blow, but leave him alive long enough to stab him once for every life he took from her family.

Michael:  
He and Terra managed to turn the tides of the battle for keep of the Castle, but then, Erish faced them off, and The General and Terror barricaded Erish from advancing upon them, and even sacraficed themselves to bar the progress of Erish long enough for them to get away, with the heir, or to find the Heir. Before they left, they hinted that the heir was alive, somewhere.

Michael is a lecher, and is known to throw himself in front of women to save them form attacks. He keeps the team loose and in a good mood with laughs and jokes, but unfortunately, the onslaught on Bolstar has kept everyone on pins and needles, in a permanately depressed mood.

Hannah:

A firebrand woman, who was saved by Michael. She is one of the few units who were registered to Kyren's squad, and has decent strength, compared to visciously quick myrmidon slashes of Michael and Terra. She joined with her little brother Keith, who insisted he join to protect her, and after many arguements, Hannah grudgingly argeed to bring him along. Not much is known about her either, except she along with most of the troop is good company, faithful and trusting. But lately, it seems morale is slipping...

Keith:

A little boy, who joined the army solely to protect his older sister; but now he has adapted a new goal as well as that... to understand why his soul harbors the power of death... was it because of a grazing touch of death that the soul yearns for its power? Keith doesn't quite understand, but has a vague idea, and has accepted an apprentice-ship to Hiyo, a very strange man, who Kitch still thinks is a pedophile. Keith is a very timid boy, but extremely intelligent. Hiyo thinks he holds great potential. The two went to fend off the archers who set flame to the town along with fire brigades on foot, and met up with another Shaman, and two Monks. The group all managed to kill the archers with barely any of them even realizing it.

Hiyo:

A mysterious Shaman who joined the group. Barely anything is known about him, except that he has an eye for potential in Shamans, and has taken a liking to Keith. Either that, or contrary to Kitch's belief, he's a child molester. He, along with Keith, Aidan, Nadia, and Carlos managed to kill the archers from teh cover of darkness, and then they met up with Michael and Terra, saving there skins as well, seeing their plight with the shadow Warriors. They then teamed up and provided back up for Kyren and his group.

Carlos:

A blond haired man in his early 20s, his eyes are green, and can be lovingly warm or frightenly angry, depending on who's in control. As Keith, Hiyo, Aidan and Nadia realized, he seems to have a personality disorder, in which he cycles between two poles instead of having a fine medium. As Carlos, he is kind hearted, merciful, and gentle. As his other half, a person he refers to as Dameon, he is violent and zealous, believing himself to be a holy warrior in a world of sinners. These changes can be rather sudden, and the results can be disturbing.

Aidan:

A bit of a cynic, although he should be an optimistic happy-go-lucky fool as decried by Monk law. He, along with his fraternal twin sister Nadia, as well as Carlos were in Balhd's troop, and got seperated in the initial panic of the first wave, and decided it was best to end the rain of arrows. There, they met Keith and Hiyo, and defeated the archers in a joint effort. Not much is known about either of these three new magic users.

Nadia:

Unlike her brother, she is the complete opposite, an optimist as well as a caring individual, despite her soul's magical disposition towards darkness. She's sometimes overly nice, to the point were she get's taken advantage of, and that's when her older brother cleanses them of their 'sin' of taking advantage of good people.

Kitch:

The second of two mages. He's twitchy, nervous, anxious and has self-esteem issues. He's overly under-rates himself, although he's a perfectly able mage with an affinity towards lightning. Not much is known about him either, on why he's so twitchy. Sin just think he may have some kind of mental disorder like Carlos, who tried 'purging him of sins' when he tried pilfering his breakfast. Barely anything is known about Kitch... he tends to shy away from everyone besides Keith.

The General of Bolstar:

The second of the Three. A hefty, profane General, capable of taking the fiercest blows from just about anything. Not one thing yet, has been able to strike him down, let alone knock him over at least. Great knights, Wyvern Lords, Paladins, Generals... nothing has been able to knock him down, except one man; the Grand Commander, the first of the Three. He met Kyren's father on the battlefield, Kyren says, and he switched sides because he was the first ever to actually be able to lift himm off his feet and onto his ass with a single blow. A mighty foe, with unsurpassed defense and stamina, he's also formidable in attack power.

The Terror of Bolstar:

A pained being, with barely the ability to talk, except by pained rasps. He's covered in scars, and the newest of the Three, recruited by the Grand Commander. He wields two terrifying swords, Dusk and Twilight, which seem like normal blades, disregarding the parasitic veins growing on the blade. He seems to be lethargic, and fatigued, until he gets into a battle, in which it seems like another force is guiding his limp body, as he swiftly cuts down anyone who stands in his way, sapping the very life from them as the blade cuts through them, never letting a drop touch the ground. He, truly strikes fear into the ordinary, and has even creeped out the General from time to time, which is quite a feat judging that the General is also famed for his courage. He is completely a mystery, for even if there is anything known about him, people are afraid to speak of him.

That's just about it! Enjoy the foreshadowing, and tidbits of info for reading this far. XD Tune in for another chapter later.


	9. Mysteries that Never End

The troops made towards the hill, taking occaisonal glances backwards at the ruined city of Bolstar. Near everyone had been killed in the silent siege, and these men and women were the very last of them. This kept all of them in a very depressed mood. "Well... lets look at it this way..." Aidan said, with a dark smile. "Everyone's dead, so they say, so why will we be looked for?" He said, and Kyren shrugged. "Perhaps... you have a point... but... we kinda failed what we enlisted for; to protect the city." Kyren said.

"But you know, sweetheart, we gave it a shot, and did a great job... what more could you ask?"Lysalia said, from behind him, backsaddling. Kitch was walking with Keith, trying to make small talk, but Keith was busy dwelling on the bloodshed he and Hiyo had caused, killing those archers from the shadow... it was horrible... yet it satisfied him, strangely. Hiyo was behind him, staring at the rust orange sky of the morning, sun just beginning to rise over the ruined city. Kyren sighed. They began closing in towards the great tree of Bolstar, which was dead as well, exactly as the old tale went.

"When Bolstar's fate is decided and fated to doom, the leaves will shrivel and die with it's inhabitants. Only the hope left behind by it's seedlings will carry on it's legacy." Sin said, as they approached it, and as he said, there were small saplings springing from the base of the tree. "...Maybe... We can rebuild Bolstar one day, once we kill Erish, and avenge all those deaths..." Kyren said, and the troop looked hopefull. "Yeah, we won't let any of those deaths go to waste, we'll avenge them." Lysalia said, and they all began cheering.

"...That is, if you can get past the second commander of the seige force. Sin, it's been a long time, I was wondering why your abilities were so familiar, when you protected your pansy Commander from me." A familiar voice said, and from within the morning shade of the large tree, stepped Xakaryus.

"Do I know you?"Sin asked, looking at him, trying to find a similiarity. "And what do you mean, second commander?" Kyren said. "...Erish mentioned a second Commander..." Kyren said, and Xakaryus clapped. "Very clever, now that you've figured that out, try and guess how I killed off everyone at the camp?" He said with a devilish smile. "You bastard!" Hannah exclaimed. "No, my parents had me when I was married, and I kill them when I was about seven... but thats another story. I'll give you three guesses to figure it out..." But then he had to quickly evade two arrow shots, and he sighed. "Wrong answer! Two more tries!" He said, and Michael lunged at him, slashing quickly.

"Please, you're outdated." Xakaryus said, as he backflipped over the stab, bringing his boot under Michaels chin and lifting him off the ground and backwards. "All of you are too weak for me." He said, his playful smile fading. "No more playing around... Don't you remember me, Sin? I mustve hit you too quick the first time for you to realize who I was... You remember Erish though, don't you?" He said,and at his name, Sin trembled. Xakaryus laughed, thrusting a hand at Sin, a blast of darkness pushing everyone away from him, as a barrier of black surrounded the two. Suddenly, in a burst of dark energy, a black ornate katana sheathe appeared on his belt. His hand began glowing black, and Sin began shaking. He knew exactly what Xakaryus was talking about before.

"Oh god, fuck me! You two won't leave me be! Stop following me!" He said, and he stumbled backwards and tripped over a root. He was to terrified to get up, as the lost memories flooded back to him. Xakaryus' eye's began to morph to that of what looked like dragons, and his teeth began to warp and become pointed. Suddenly, though, a drop of blood dripped onto his forehead. "...I...do not... save people... to let them... die." He said, most of his arms soaked in blood, his chest penetrated at multiple places, and bleeding heavily.

Xakayrus looked up, in terror, at Terror. "...Erish, is... strong... but..." He said, pausing, laughing, spewing blood down, "... You, are not Erish." He said, jumping down. "The General, may... have fallen... barring Erish's... path... but he anticipated... you, Xakaryus." Terror began laughing again, spewing blood everywhere. "You, cannot... summon... the puppets like he can... your soul... wasn't strong enough..." He said, walking forward, dragging his blades, cinging the grass, where the life-stealing blades trailed. "...And even now... enveloped... in darkness... it cannot... contend with... a soul in purgatory..." He said, laughing more. Xakaryus looked visually shooken.

"It's true! You're really a dead man!" Xakaryus questioned, trembling. Terror laughed, tilting his head to the left. "Yes... the body is... dead... but the soul... remains..." He said. "Watch... what... a soul too... stubborn to leave and... exposed to death... for... so long... can do." Terror said, snapping bloodied fingers, as a portal appeared behind him, and Terror tackled him at blazing speeds almost too fast to catch, and they both flew into the portal, and it shut quickly once they entered. "...Stay...Alive..." Terror said, voice echoing.

Everyone looked to Sin, who promptly fainted. Heresy looked at him, laying on the ground. "This git has got everyone trying to kill all of us..." He said, nudging him with his foot. "But we can't just leave him, you know." Lysalia said to Heresy. He rolled his eyes. "It'd be better to leave him to the vultures, no offense to him as a person... but I mean... look at those two guys, from Bolstar. Sacraficing themselves for us, where this kid's gonna get us murdered?" Kyren nodded at this sentiment. "It seems logical..." He said, but he got off his horse, and lifted Sin up, over his shoulder.

"...But my father would never do such a thing." He said, hefting him onto Balhd's horse. "Regardless of what dangers any of us present to one another, we have to stick together, die together, live together. My father taught me that." He said, and they all nodded. "Where to then?" Kitch asked. Kyren frowned. "To... Alsterea, I guess... one of the eight countries that's nuetral..." He said, as they started down the hill. But to their dismay, stood Xakaryus' battalion, from the Army of Bolstar. Apparantly, after he killed all the units with food poison, he took his own men, who he had spared, in return for their loyalty.

"Perfect... just, perfect." Kyren said, as they charged their position, and everyone braced themselves for battle.


	10. The Final Flame of Bolstar

"FUCK!" Jacquelin yelled out, and realized Glen was sleeping again. "STUPID! MAKE YOURSELF USEFULL!" She roared, pushing him down the hill, and he began rolling at high speeds, plowing his way through the front line crushing people as he rolled. And still he slept. "Useless moron." She said, lifting her axe, and rushing the front lines, along with Kyren, Baldh, Hannah and Heresy, Michael, Terra, and Sin tagging behind. Lysalia led the mage units, intending to use her eyes to pick out when the front units needed help.

Glen woke up, to the sound of clinking weapons hitting his armor. "SHUT THAT ALARM OFF!" He roared, standing up, unleashing viscious swings of his lance, spearing a few in the process, and then his weapon broke on a fellow knight. "...eh?" Glen said, blinking a few times, looking at this blade wielding opponent. "GIMME THAT!" He roared, catching the blade as it came down on him, and headbutting the opposing knight repeatedly till he fell to the ground, and Glen giggled. "My sword!" He said, twirling the hefty blade similiar to Kyrens, and he then, fell asleep.

Kyren slashed through fighter, tearing off an arm, and he was stabbed with a lance. "Shit!" He grunted, turning to fend off this other mounted unit, and the lance flew at him, but was cleanly chopped in half by a blur. "Thank me later." he said, as he dodged a few extra blows, and stabbed a halberdier in the neck, and twisted it, killing them. "SHIT!" He said, as he watched an axe come towards him, but then, Kyren's sword disarmed the axe, and with a flourish, he dismembered the axeman. "There's your thank you." He said, and Sin rolled his eyes.

Heresy and Hanna were fighting together, slashing wildly at the axemen that approached them, and Heresy held a broad redish blade, with a stange texture to it, and a jagged edge. Hannah, was using a simple steel sword, an iron one on her belt in case the other broke. Hannah dove at one of the axemen, clashing her blade with their axe, throwing their axe aside, as she brought the blade across his throat. Effective, quick and deadly, she thought it was the best way to kill them off quickly, so she could move her sights onto others.

"You fight like a demon, cutting throats wherever you can..." Heresy said, as he sheathed his viscious sword, and unsheathed a blade that was glowing a bright white. She nodded. "What else should I do? Lose my sword in their chests? This is quicker." She said, as she ducked under an axe swipe, and came up with a viscious uppercut with her blade, knocking the axeman backwards, a gash gushing blood on his chest, and she drove the blade into his throat and wrenched it from the dirt.

Heresy nodded. "Well, my opinion is, why get close when you can kill them from a distance, and not even get scratched?" He said, swinging his sword, as bright white slashes of energy began tearing single opponents apart. Paired with Hannah's brutality, they began thinning opponents out.

Lysalia smiled. "Everyone, get ready to set your sights on the units in the air." She said, and they all looked confused, and looked up. "...What units?" Aidan asked, slightly coldly. "Yes, I don't see them either... does my sight fail me?" He asked, and Lysalia smiled, snapping, and bringing her hands towards the sky, "Updraft!" She called out, and a wind from the earth itself, lifted a good fifty units into the air, throwing them horribly off guard. "Finish them quickly, before my magic gives out!" She called out, and bolts of lightning, black fires, dark shadows, and explosions of pure magic ravaged the units caught upwards.

Balhd looked backwards to the sudden uproar of magic being fired off from the hillside. "Hm... they all have interesting spell potential. Lysalia, has been tapping deeper into her soul, apparantly, hence the interesting spell of hers..." He muttered to himself, mindlessly dismounting a mounted unit with a swing of his lance. "...It seems that she lifted them... oh, fifty feet up?" He said, spearing a foot unit, lifting them off the ground, and throwing them into another. "Also... there's so many of these units, yet they're all..." He said, pausing, bored. "...So soft." He said, chopping an arm off with an accurate swing of his lance.

Siham looked over the hillside, launching an arrow right into a knight's helm. She then paused, where Faith was rapidly launching support arrows. "Calm down, no one's going anywhere..." Siham said with a chuckle. Faith was panting. "Are you serious?" She said, pointing at their allies. "Look! Sin's got a deep cut in his forearm, Kyren's blade is notched, and he's getting pelted from all sides, his armor will give in soon, Glen's ok... so is Balhd, and Hannah is having some difficulty..." She said, as she watched Hannah get headbutt by another mercenary, and she quickly feathered them, catching them in the arm, sending them back, giving Heresy enough time to rush in with a shield bash and a finishing blow. He signaled thanks to Faith. She nodded with a smile, and looked to Terra and Michael. "Look at them! They're fighting their hearts out to defend what little they have left, you should at least have the decency to aid them, and not make pretty shots!" She said, wiping a bead of sweat from her face. Siham frowned and began belting out arrows alongside Faith, supporting their friends.

Michael and Terra were working in practically perfect harmony, twirling around, disarming opponents, killing them all quickly and efficiently. "Think you can keep up?" Terra managed out between swipes. "You have no idea..." Michael said, keeping pace, even speeding it up. "Please, I won't be beaten by a girl." He said, and Terra grinned. "Get ready to, then." She said, and the entire group fought their very hardest, with help from the blasts of magic, arrows flying, and companionship, they managed to prevail, although badly wounded.

Kyren's armor was split at the arm, and his arm was bleeding deeply, and Sin was unconscious, Michael and Terra mostly unscathed, Hannah with a split eyebrow. Heresy was rouched up, a black eye forming from where he got hit with a random last-resort right hook. Baldh too, was mostly unscathed, and the magic users to, were untouched, thanks to the valiant efforts of the front units.

Kyren held his arm, and Lysalia called for August. "Heal them all." She said, curtly, and she nodded, hiding since the beginning of the battle. She was terrified of the fight, and had hid. She went up and down the line, healing everyone. She looked to Heresy. "Sorry... I can only heal cuts." And he looked frustrated. "Whaddya mean, you can only heal cuts? What kinda healer are you?" He said, rather loudly, and Sin woke up. "Guy, shut up, you're too loud, I want to sleep." He said, standing, rubbing his eyes, looking very aggravated. "Let's just get moving, ok?" Kyren said, trying to avert a possible spat, looking at his broken armor. Glen's, although intact was badly dented from him not fighting back. Sin was beat up, bruised and abused. Heresy frowned. "Most of my weapons are broken..." And Kyren sighed.

"Let's just complain when we get to the town, ok? We're all tired... we've had two intense battles, and made it out alive... let's... just shut the hell up, and move on." He said, and every listened, noticing their commander wasnt in a very happy mood. Then, they began trekking towards Alsterea, Kyren leaving a single torch behind in the field filled with bodies, the dry grass catching quickly, taking the field to hell with all the fighters who opposed them, as they turned their backs to the blazing fire, marching to Alsterea.


	11. Shed Your Heritage

They all marched to Alsterea, hearts heavy, eyes set to the horizon. The flames behind them had faded from sight, and they had stopped to camp out besides a forest. Kyren looked to his armor. "We can't march into Alsterea with these emblems on us..." He said, brushing off his chest plate, running his hand across the blazing sun. Sin nodded, looking to his necklace. "I'm sure all of them are already informed of the all out assault on Alsterea. if we walk in looking like a rag-tag band of survivors, we'll be captured and probably handed right over to Erea." He said, and everyone looked at their various brands.

Carlos began laughing darkly. "Why not let them hand us right over? We can eat them from the inside out... and send their filthy souls to burn in purgatory, to atone for their sins..." He said, laughing a long cold chuckle. Nadia looked to Carlos. "Carlos... are you o-" And as she reached to his arm, he swatted her arm, venom dripping from his words. "I'm not Carlos... I'm Dameon... the world is filled with darkness, and I will cleanse it all... send each last soul to repent." He said, cackling maniaclly. Aidan walked over to him. "Amen, brother... but now is not the time to rid the world of vermin... right now... we need to plan... stage our assault on them calmly... then, when the moment turns up... we strike, visciously, without remorse, and make each of them beg for forgiveness." He said, and Dameon smiled wickedly, his once warm eyes sharp and cold. "I second what you say, wise brother. I will quell my spirit for now... but when the time comes... I will fight like a demon against those sinners." He said, and Aidan nodded. "Yes, but abstain from such violence until then." And Dameon nodded, becoming calmer.

Michael looked reproachfully at the monk. "Wasn't he... nice and generous and junk at one point?" He said, confused, to Balhd, since Carlos was under his command as a troop. "Yes... Carlos seems to have a mental problem..." He said, looking down at the myrmidon. He didn't like myrmidons. Michael though, had no qualms with anyone. "Yes yes... enough questioning... go now." He said, and Michael looked at him. "Excuse me?" He said, angered at his air of arrogance.

"I don't like you. Go away. As commander, I order you to take positioning at the back of the troop, away from me." He said, and Kyren picked these words up. "YOU, are not the captain, I am. I lead these men, not you." He said, and the paladin looked at the stone-faced cavalier, and through his helm, rolled his eyes. "Please, you're inferior to me-" and at those words, an iron sword was slipped easily through his visor, and was centimeters from his face.

"Do NOT test my patience. I took responsibility the moment my men took you into my troop. Regardless, I don't ask much of you. Fight besides me, and hold loyalty, in the most general sense that we are the very last survivors of Bolstar. Other then that, you do as you wish. I just ask a little respect and not to act as if you command MY units." And Baldh looked to his troop, to Carlos, Aidan, Nadia, Siham and Heresy for support, but they all looked indifferent. He sighed. "Fine, but I'm not taking any pushy orders." He said, looking defeated. "Don't expect any." He said, putting hte blade away, as they began moving forward again.

Lysalia sat on the back of Kyren's horse. "What are we gonna do?" She whispered. Kyren shrugged. "No idea... we're just a rag-tag band of warriors... all we know is how to fight... maybe... when we cast off our banner, we could become mercenaries or something... I don't really know... just give me time to think... so much has happened lately..." He said, and she nodded, leaning around to kiss him on the cheek.

Soon, night fell, and Sin sat far from the fire, at a tent, leaning back on the grass, hand over his eyes. "Why... the hell is my past following me... after all I did to get away?" He said, and Terra silently walked up from behind him. "...What past?" And Sin jumped up. "Uh, nothing." He said, flashing a sheepish grin. She frowned. "Not to be rough, but it seems the whole reason why Bolstar was sacked was because of you." She said, and Sin frowned. "Great, more guilt. Thanks. Have you any idea how much this drives me all insane?" he asked, and she nodded. "I have a good idea..." She said, looking away. Sin sat up. "What, you have an unwanted past too?" He asked, mockingly, trying to lighten the mood. Terra took this to offense, and walked away briskly after leaving Sin with a quick "Yes."

SIn laid there, and slumped back into the grass. "Sin... you're such a fuck-up." He said, slapping his forehead.

August sat at the opposite side of the fire, looking towards were Terra had walked away from, and looked to Sin, and Terra looked upset, and Sin looked like he was angry at himself. She wanted to get up and walk over to him... but she couldnt find the courage to get up in front of all her friends. Lysalia sat besides her, with Kyren. "...What's up August...? You look antsy..." She said, and Autumn blushed. "Oh... really?" She asked, and looked towards the ground. "Gah... I'm always so predictable... Lysalia... do you think I should go over there and talk to Sin...? I kinda... have a crush on him..." She said quietly. Lysalia smiled at her. "Then just go over there." And August lowered her head. "Easier said than done..." She said, wringing her hands.

Glen yawned. "Marshmellowwws..." He said, thrusting his arm into the fire, shocking everyone, and he pulled out a flaming stick, and speared a passing squirrel with it, thrusting it back into the fire. Jacquelin smiled. "Now, THATS a dinner." She said, pulling off a leg once it was charred black. Glen held it in place, alseep again. Jacky decided to steal his squirrel, apparantly named "marshmellow." Keith and Hiyo were chatting, while practicing spells, and Dameon was sitting there, carving crosses and sticking them into the fire, while quietly chanting 'death to sinners', Nadia knitting a doll while smiling, Aidan reading an old religious book of sorts. Kitch creating a new spell, creating a ball of crackling energy, apparantly, an incarnation of his ADD problem.

Kyren sat there, and began unstrapping his armor. Everyone looked to him. "We shed our symbols of Bolstar." He said, calling Hiyo over. "Cut this out with your knife of magic." He said, pointing to the symbol of the blazing sun. Hiyo nodded, cutting it out, and handed the piece of metal to Kyren. "Everyone... this morning coming, we march, and without our emblem. We will all start anew... for we have nothing left... when I figure out what the hell else we're doing... that's all..." He said, turning and going to his tent, like everyone else did, and August sat there, alone. "... I should've talked to him..." She said, putting out the fire before going to bed.


	12. A Peaceful Night

**A/N: Short, but better than nothing. Hope you enjoy it regardless. Oh, and I'm still accepting character submissions. Send some in, even if you've sent one already in. Make it something creative, and I'll put it in.**

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Sin couldn't sleep. So, he made his way outside, and fell asleep in the grass, under the lonely moon. As hard as he tryed, he couldn't remember why he was so fearful or Erish and Xakaryus... but all he knew was that he had to run, everytime he met one of them. That was it. Run, or die.

Autumn peeked out her tent, and saw Sin laying in the grass. "Perfect..." She muttered, smiling to herself, as she climbed out of her tent, and walked towards him, making sure her hair was neat. "Can't sleep...?" She asked, and Sin looked up. "...Not at all." He said, and she nodded. "It's hard to sleep... with such a beautiful night upon us." She said, looking to the stars twinkling around the moon.

"...No, I can't sleep because of I'm afraid of my own dreams." He said, and then stopped. "Nevermind me. Sleep deprivation makes me ramble." He said, rolling over. She blinked. "If you say so..." She said, as she began humming to herself, and Sin listened, finding peace in her simple tune, and he closed his eyes, and began humming it to himself. She looked to him, surprised. "How do you know that song?" She asked, and he shrugged. "Sound's familiar... I just hummed the next note that came into mind." He said, and he kept humming it, as the song played in his head, and he began to drift into sleep. She looked away. _'How could he know a song only known to my families party...?' _She thought, and put the thought to the back of her mind as she watched him fall asleep.

Michael wandered through the forests. He wondered where the hell he was going with this group. So what if they were the last of Bolstar... if he really wanted to live, he should split... but he kinda didn't want to. Suddenly, he felt a presence from behind him, and from a tree, a swordsman jumped down and almost caught him off guard, but he quickly evaded, and unsheathed his blade, but the swordsman laughed, as he... no, she stepped into the moonlight. And she was carrying a stick.

"Scare ya?" Terra said with a laugh, dropping the stick. Michael sheathed his sword, releived. He had seen enough battle to last him a while, and he ignored the remark. "...So you couldn't sleep either?" He asked, and she shrugged. "...Kinda." She said, holding her hands behind her back as she walked slowly towards a large tree. "...I like the night. It's pretty." She said, and Michael realized the situation he had been so fatefully placed in. Alone. In a forest. At night. Under the moon. With a girl. Oh, sweet bliss it was for Michael. Terra turned around, and smiled. Michael was blown away.

Balhd was off his horse, and made for the sound of a river he had heard while he slept. He, with Kyren had discarded his armor bearing Bolstar's crest, running a hand through black hair... how long had it been since he had shed his armor? it was a strange sensation... made him feel almost free... but almost empty at the same time. That beautiful capital city he had defended for so many years...it was nothing now. Rubble, and burnt remnants. It was depressing at the very least. He sat at the river once he found it, and sighed. "What am I meant to do now?" He asked himself, skipping a rock across the waters surface, as he peered through the darkness with hazel eyes, infused with blue.

Kitch walked out of his tent. "Where am I...?" He said, looking around, twitching slightly. "Im so confused..." He said, as he looked at a paper stuck to his shirt. "Eh?" He said, reading it, and it read 'Look in your pocket.' and he pulled out a journal, and began reading his most recent entry. "Hm..." He said, reading. "So... that's what happened yesterday?" He said, reading past entries. "Oh. Heh, this Glen seems funny." He said with a chuckle. "So... I have a mental disorder? I keep forgetting everything once I fall asleep?" He said to himself, with a frown. "Sounds... troublesome." He said to himself, as he twitched. "Maybe thats why my sleep felt so restless..." He said, as he pulled out a paper, with magical schematics.

"... I'll never be able to pull any of this off... it's too good... and I'm a half-rate mage..." He said, as he remebered his self-depreciating self. He walked off to the forests. "Might as well try though..." He said, with a heavy sigh. "Wonder where Keith is..." He said, the writings bringing back his memory. He trudged off through the forest, wondering where he could find his friend.

Keith was sitting in the forest, and raised a hand, and from the palm, burst a black shadow. "Good, good, you're getting better... now control it, and move it around with your mind... focus, and control. Block everything out, except that shadow." He said, and Keith nodded, and he spun the shadow around Hiyo's head. "Good, good... I'll be able to fufill my fate at this rate..." He said, muttering to himself. "Now, try te darkness dagger..." He said, and Keith looked tired. "...o...k..." He said, breaths labored, as he began tracing runes in the air alongside of Hiyo.

Elsewhere, Heresy sat on a stump, flipping a coin, looking to the stars. "When I can prove myself...I'll return..." He said, and Siham was leaning against a tree near him. "...If only proving ourselves was that easy..." She said, and he nodded. "...We can always try..." He said. Heresy looked up, and saw a fire in the distance.Near this fire, stood Aidan and Dameon, laughing hysterically, as they swapped 'purification' stories. Nadia sat on the ground knitting together a doll, and looking up, smiling at the fact her brother had made a friend, with someone as equally insane as he was. And she realized, when he was Carlos, Nadia got along with him very well.

Kyren sat up. "Apparantly... none of our comrades can sleep." He said with a grin to Lysalia. She smiled. "At least their all getting along... apparantly... they're all making bonds." And Kyren chuckled. "Just like our old days in the army... maybe a handful of them might get off lucky like we did..." He said, and she smiled, and fell asleep besides him.


	13. The Marching Dawn

**A/N: Short, again. I dunno, I have all the inspiration, just I'm writing short chapters. XD Well, expect more tomorrow.**

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Baldh looked around, as the sun began to rise. He sighed. "Another day... I really don't feel as up to war as I used to..." He said, getting up, and returning to camp. "I wonder what we'll be doing... all I can see us doing is becoming mercenaries... and I don't even want to fight, even now." He said, walking through the forest, away from the serene river where he had contemplated thoughts of the recent events.

Hiyo stood over a panting Keith. "Come on. At this rate, you'll never be able to own up to your past." Hiyo said, lifting him by his collar, off the ground. "Don't you want to do all those things you told me? You have such ambition... but where's your will? Don't you have to avenge your sister?" He asked, and Keith's eyes flared as he, himself, burst into black flames, and Hiyo's hands caught aflame, and he smiled, flinging the fires from his hand as if it was water. "Good, much better. Now, let's go to the camp, you did very well. When we get into town, I'll be sure to treat you to something nice." He said, patting him on the head, walking away, gray hair swaying in the breeze.

Siham and Heresy were sitting in silence, thinking. Suddenly, they heard a bell, and they looked to the camp. "Wake up call... tiem flew... it's easy to get lost in thought, isn't it...?" And Siham nodded. "Yeah... unfortunately..." she said, her usually perky face gloom. "Let's get going before we get in trouble, or worse, accused of something like us dating!" She said, scrunching up her face as if she ate something unpleasant. "Hey!" He called in indignation, chasing her down back to camp.

Sin woke up, in the middle of the encampment. "Shit." He said, standing up quickly, brushing off grass from his cloak. "I fell asleep outside...?" He said bleakly, until Terra and Michael came running from the forests. Sin blinked. "...What the hell were you doing out in the forest with a lecher...?" He said, and Terra blinked. "Nothing." She said quickly, face blank. Sin furrowed his brow. "You said that awfully quick..." he said, and she grinned sheepishly. "Sooooo?" And Sin glared at Michael. "Don't doubt it... I can, and I surely will, kill you." He said, turning around, confusing Michael. "What's he all in a tizzy about?" And Terra shrugged. "Me and him... we're just old friends..." She said.

"I didn't say anything I'd regret yesterday, did I, Nadia?" Carlos asked, and she shook her head. "Not at all... if anything, you made a friend for life when you're Dameon. Aidan's pretty much in love with you, as far as a man can." She said, and Carlos shrugged. "Personally... he's a little too radical for me... but I'd understand why my overly zealous side likes him. Really, Dameon disgusts me..." He said, and Nadia shrugged. "I can deal with both sides of you easily." She said with a warm smile. Carlos shrugged, and grinned, looking up to the sky, evading her gaze.

Autumn was already awake, and tending her horse, while stealing glances at Sin, who was sitting indian style, and glaring at Michael. She decided to walk over to him, and sat down next to him. "Michael offend you?" And he scoffed. "Nah, he's just pushing up on a girl I've been taking care of for years..." He said, and Autumn looked distant, at Terra. "...Really now..." She said, standing up, and backing away, her own mind swirling with thoughts.

Kyren stood at the center of the camp, looking at his troop, some members still turning up from the forests around them. When they all appeared, Kyren cleared his throat. "I have a lot of things to discuss..." He said, Baldh taking a place next to him in front of the troops. "First of all, I have decided, that we will become a band of mercenaries. And furthermore, Baldh has decided that if I have been able to pull us all through all of the tragic happenings lately, that I should lead this band, and I wish to ask of you, if you all think the same." He asked, and everyone nodded, with ayes and yesses. "Then it's decided. I'll lead, and Baldh will be the second in command. There will be no overly strenuous tasks asked, I'll be fair to each one of you. Trust me, I'm a leader in the loosest sense that I'll direct you in the correct direction, and even then, you can follow that path, only if you desire. Not only that, I'll be taking full responsibilty for your actions. Don't abuse that, though." And everyone nodded.

Baldh coughed. "What'll the mercenary band be called?" He asked. Kyren looked lost for words. "I have not an idea." He said, and he looked to the troop. "Any ideas?" He said, and everyone was deep in thought, until one voice broke the silence. "The Marching Dawn." Sin said, and the first thought that came to everyone's mind was the march they took into the morning they all took, the blazing fields behind them. Kyren was silent. "That's good." And he thought. "We'll have armor and insignias designed for our band, once we make enough money after starting our base. Till then... we continue our march to Alsterea." He said, leading the march.


	14. Oh, I remember now

They all walked through the day. Sin walked alone, Autumn too shy to ride besides him, Terra too aborbed in Michael to pay any mind to him. Keith, Kitch and Hiyo were chatting, Baldh and Kyren chatting idly while Lysalia fell asleep on horseback. Aidan looked bored as hell, and Nadia and Carlos were having a pleasant chat.

Sin began twitching. How much louder can she laugh at his perverted jokes! He said, as he tapped the handle of his knife. He had been practicing with dual knifes... and his speed had been getting up, and he suspected the same had been with Michael. But personally... Michael's antics were getting on his nerves, and he had been wanting to put a hole in him since... his little forest venture with Terra. How many times had Sin protected her? From all those assassins? Sin laughed, at those assassins... he knew the house better then them... and always surpised them when his knife's edge slid close to their throat, sealing their fate... and yet, regardless of these unnamed assassins, she goes off with him... how it aggravated Sin.

Sin looked backwards, towards them, and he noticed a ... very undesireable straying hand inch it's way over to Terra. Michael caught Sin's glance, and his face went stonelike. "What's with the look?" He asked, and Sin scoffed. "Think about it." He said, slowing down his pace and turning around. "Think about what? What, do you like Terra or something?" He asked, and Terra raised and eyebrow and laughed. "Him... why would-" And then she was cut off by Sin. "And if i do?" He asked, hand resting on his handle this time.

"Then I'd suggest you leave her alone." He said, standing in front of Terra and stopping. "Hey! This is stupid, you two!" She said, but they didn't pay attention. Off to the side, Autumn looked longingly at Sin. How she wished she was the one he'd fight over, not her, that... But she stopped her thoughts before they became violent. She hated violence, and even more, violence in herself.

"Who the hell are you to tell me who I can see or not?" He asked, and Michael unsheathed his blade. "I am." He said, and everyone turned around at the sound of metal sliding against sheath. Heresy saw the glint of steel. "What the hell's goin on!" He said, rushing to the scene. Sin grinned maniacly. "Don't wake the beast you know... it's not quite good..." He said, as his sheath with the red-ish blade began vibrating.

"Oh please, don't talk like you're something you're not." He said, pacing a firm foot forward, holding his sword up to the side of his face, eye level, in a traditional stance. "Hahaha, test me, and see what I really am..." He said, his eyes burning bright. "Ok, you INSIST!" Michael said, rushing for Sin who began laughing insidiously, and Kyren just spot this action. "Crap." He said, turning his horse and rushing to them.

Sin dodged the diagonal slash but jumping to oneside, and dashing at him with a steel knife in hand. "I hope you enjoy pain." He said, and Terra began screaming for them to stop. Heresy was about to sneak up on Sin and grab him from behind, but Sins abrupt dodge had made him miss and need to dodge Michael's blade himself. Sin thrust his knife at Michael and he dodged quickly, and brought up his blade quick enough to knock the dagger from his hand, and Sin jumped over another slash, and mid-air, he landed a spinning kick that caught him in the chest, causing him to lose his stance, and sent him backwards. Sin unsheathed his red-ish blade, which was vibrating heavily, it's image distorted and warping, as it caused his arm to shake with the vibration, it's energy flowing over him. The energy bore a scent... a scent of blood.

"Hah..haha...hahaha! I remember... I remember why I'm so terrified by Erish... why he wants me dead... he killed my family. My dad fell before him, after fighting him... and Erish actually killed him in front of me... hah... hahaha... actually... he used his dark powers... and made ME kill him!" Sin said, as tears rolled down his face, and the blade began to shake his arm to the point where Sin had to clench the other with his other arm, and hold it down, and the blade began to envelop him in a blood red mist, as the blade continued to warp his image.

"I remember... my father remembers... he's in this blade... his soul, stuck in this accursed blade... the blade that Erish sealed him in... because he was a threat. A threat to his insane conquest. And when my father informed me of all of this, he told me to run, but Erish got to him first... And then... Xakaryus struck..." He said, as he began to fade in and out of existence, the blood red mist flaring up. "...I don't remember anything after that... but all I do know... is that there's something in my blood... something I know someone else shares that courses in my blood... that my family had... that Erish was afraid of. That's why he hunts me... and apparantly.. the heir." He said.

Michael was terrified of what was going on. "What the fuck are you talking about! We were fighting over a girl... and this happens!" He yelled at. There was nothing left of Sin except a black shadow in the mist. "... Emotion ... is a trigger to everything ... hatred, memory... regret. Betrayal, and sin." He said, merely whispering. "... You ... sparked such an anger in me... you woke my father's soul from the blade, a viscious weapon he was famed for using... in brilliantly excecuted assassinations, that was warped with his soul, and the blood of betrayal, my sin taking form in a weapon. I can't really do anything about this... and neither can you ... I'm sorry if you die..." He said, as he yelled in pain, as the bloody mist entered Sin's body, and overwhelmed him, causing him to explode in brilliance, as he changed form.

"Hello, kiddo. Ready to die?" A person said, in a different voice. Sin stood there, but he looked thirty five, a blond goatee gracing his face, the same hairstyle and color, eyes the same, his face weathered and older.It looked like Sin... but it looked like Sin's father took over his body, and made him age. Not only that, now he held two long daggers, visciously curved, chained at the hilt. The cloak was thicker, and blew in an unseen wind. "It's been a long time since I've seen the outside." He said, twirling one blade, then seconds later, the other. "So, would you like to grovel, leave the girl alone, or die? I'm being very generous..." He said, and Kyren jumped from his horse.

"General Alcuin!" Kyren said, in exasperation. "My father told me that you died... in a raid by bandits on your forest cottage!" He said, shocked. "Yet you stand here!" He said, and he nodded. "You look JUST like your father, just like Olric." Alcuin said, pausing. "But, I am dead. I'm just borrowing my son's body... awakening his dormant powers, blah blah blah... oh, and I have to kill this guy too." He said, pointing his blade at Michael. Kyren cringed. "Must you...?" He said, and Alcuin shrugged. "I don't NEED to, but Sin wants to really badly. He's not very strong either, so I decided, provided with all the emotional power he was putting out, I could lend him a hand..." He said, and Kyren placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please, I'd rather if you didn't." And Alcuin shrugged. "Eh... fine, fine. I was hoping I would do something interesting with my time on earth before I departed... finally released from those damned blades." He said.

Kyren paused. "...What?" He asked. Alcuin stroke his goatee. "Well, when I was awakened, I was released from the blades, and put into Sin's body... while I was here, and before I left, my soul relased, and able to finally depart for the plane of afterlife. Maybe see my wife, somewhere up there..." He said, sheathing his blades. "But be warned, little moron..." He said, walking over Michael. "I may be leaving my power when I leave Sin's body... but I leave my skill behind to him... the potential skill of the best assassin in the world." He said, and poked Michael hard in the chest, and it pushed him back. "Pfft." Michael retorted. "Well... another thing, tell Sin that his true name will come back to haunt him one day..." He said, as he looked skyward, and burst into vibrant red energy, blinding all the units.

Sin lay on the ground, now wearing a thick long red cloak, hood halfway over his head, a thin headband now keeping his shoulder length blonde hair from his eyes. "Uuurgh... what the fuck happened! How hard did you hit me, Michael! Sonuva bitch, I'll gut you for whatever dirty trick you pulled..." He said, standing up, and looking at his clothes. "What the hell! You changed my CLOTHES? What kind of sick trick is this?" He said, looking at Michael, disgusted. "YOU UNDRESSED ME, YOU SICK BASTARD!" Michael smacked his head. "Do you remember anything that just happened...?" Michael asked, but Sin was busy poking his thin plate breastplate, and the elbow length gauntlets on his arms, and armored shins. "Hey... this new stuff isn't half bad..." and Michael gave up. "Whatever... I don't even think he even remembers why we're fighting.. i'll just leave him alone so he doesn't remember..." He said walking away.

Terra walked up to him. "Spiffy duds." She said, and he looked at the two long chained daggers. "Yeah... but for some reason I don't think this was Michael's doing..." And then he stopped. "Oh. Now I remember."


	15. Travelling Events and a Sighting of Hope

**A/N: Just a note, I've been typing the wrong name for August, hahah. Sorry about any confusion, when I typed Autumn, I meant August. Honest mistake, and hope you continue enjoying the story.

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Sin looked at the chained blades he was holding, trying to get used to them, but they were strange, longer than normal daggers... and they were chained together by a foot or two of chain. As he held them, memories of what evil deed he had did flooded into his mind as he remembered the dark power that had taken over his body, and his soul writhed in agony at these thoughts. But something in him, almost laughed at himself, and what he did. "I'm a sad pitiful soul." He said, with an empty twisted grin.**

Kyren looked back at Sin. "So, Lysalia, you say Sin is a Fated Child?" He asked, and Lysalia nodded. "Except, unlike the only Fated Child we know of is the Great Sage who's who knows where..." She said, and Kyren looked forward as his horse plodded forward. "Explain to me, what these 'Fated Children' are again." He asked, and she nodded. "Fated Children... are a rare breed of warriors, fated with bounds of hidden power, fatefully given to them, hence their name. Unlike normal warriors, who train to earn their title as a greater solider, like for instance, you've been training to become a Great Knight, and after proving yourself, you gain a sort of symbol as a sign of your progress... but there are people like Sin, who are given immense power, when something like a trigger enters their life. Triggers like emotions, people, even weapons and armor, can be these triggers. Even killing a certain person can be a trigger." She said, and Kyren nodded.

"But, as opposed to earning your title, you're given it, without you even knowing when you'll receive it... so I assume you have no idea of the powers you have. I bet Sin can't even fight right now, with the new weapons and armor and abilities he has." He said, and Lysalia giggled. "See, who says you cant have brains and brawn?" She said, and Kyren laughed. "Don't make it seem like a professor, I'm only a professor of War." He said, and she shrugged, and they were silent as they looked ahead.

Michael looked to the sky, bored beyond his own comprehension. "When are we getting to Alsterea? I live for battle, and women, and there's not much of either here right now!..." And all the women in the unit turned to Michael with scowls on their faces, insulted. "Oh, mydearest apologies, milaides, I didn't mean it like that, I shall hold my tongue, do forgive me...!" He said, with a dashing bow, and they glanced at him a moment longer, and then they turned around, and Michael sighed. "Phew, that was a close one." He said to himself, and someone poked him on the shoulder.

"I'd highly suggest you watch what you say like that, all the women here are a little overly prideful of their... feminism." Terra said, making Michael jump, and whirl around. "And you weren't offended?" He asked, and Terra shrugged. "I've been used to being a tomboy, I have been one all my life." She said, and Michael smiled. "I find that cute in a girl, being a tomboy." He said, walking away. "Wha?" She said, a blush creeping into her cheeks, as she went a step, to follow him, and a hand grasped her on her shoulder.

"He expects you to follow him, and I wouldn't suggest it. He's baited the lure, and hes checking to see if the fish is willing to jump into the boat. He's a lecher, and he'll play with you like a fisherman toying with his catch." He said, and Terra blinked. "Huh?" And Sin laughed. "You're oblivious. I've seen people like him before, I used to do nothing but watch people until I met you. Don't fall for his trap, once he hooks you, he'll have you swimming and swimming like a hopeless fish, until he finallycatches you to use you as bait for a bigger fish." He said, and Terra scoffed. "Sure. How would YOU know?" She asked, and Sin smiled. "I'm a fisherman." He said, as he walked away, and Terra was at a loss for actions. What did he mean, and should she follow? After all, he was a... fisherman?

Kitch was twitching madly. "I-i-i have a baaaad feeling, Keith..." Kitch said, as he wrote down stuff in a little book, as he spoke to Keith. "What do you think, Master?" Keith asked Hiyo. Hiyo shrugged. "Hm, let me scry the shadows..." He said, rubbing the air, in a circluar pattern, creating a cloud of black, in which he peered into. "Hmmm... well, it seems... that..." He said, peering deeper, and little bolts of lightning crackled through it dangerously. "...The hand of Death?..." Hiyo said, and suddenly, a pale, arm with long slender finger, and sickly decayed skin peeling off shot out of the cloud, and latched onto Hiyo's face, and he fell to his knees, screaming in agony, clawing at the hand that seemed to be crushing his face.

Heresy turned to the sound of yelling from the back of the unit, and ran towards him while everyone else stared in horror, the air chilling over. everyone petrified at this symbol of death that was grappling with Hiyo's face. "BEGONE!" Heresy yelled, brandishing a blade glowing white, as he jumped at the hand, severing it in half, as it fell to the ground, evaporating into blackness. Hiyo was on his knees, as he breathed out afine mist. "I...have been marked." He said, a black X now between his eyes, his pupils fully dilated, his skin whiter than ever. Hiyo fell to the ground. "Hiyo...? HIYO!" Keith exclaimed shaking him, and August rushed over on horseback, jumping off and branshing her staff.

"Keith, get away, I'll help him..." She said, as Hiyo went into what seemed like a series of painful seisures, and she laid her hands on him, and began muttering holy words, as his body gave off a white flash, and he went limp. "There's something horribly wrong with him, Commander." August said, to Kyren who had rode up as well. "What'd you do to him?" He asked. "I put him into a magical coma, so that his body has ceased to function. He won't age, he won't need to breathe, or use bodily functions. I can only suspend him like this for a half hour, which will be more than long enough for whatever that was plaguing him to be gone." She said, and everyone was staring at what had happened. August slung him over the back of her saddle, and everyone began walking again. Bladh sighed. "So many problems, in one tiny unit, Kyren... apparantly, you're not as good a commander as you've been cracked up to be." Baldh said with a laugh, and Kyren looked over.

"Wha-?" He said, and Baldh scowled. "Whatever." He said, falling back. Sin jumped up and landed on the back of his horse. "I'd suggest you lose the pride." He said, tapping on Baldh's helm. "Get. off. my. horse." He said, and Sin jumped off. "I'm just saying." Sin said, walking away.

Siham approached him. "Baldh will have your head if you continue like that... he was once a royal knight until he was endighted..." She said, and Sin laughed. "Endighted for what?" He asked, and Siham's face became cold. "He murdered a royal advisor, because the advisor brought out the anger in him, by challenging his pride. He killed him, in a single stroke and spilled his blood in front of the King of Erea." He said, and Sin's eyes widened. "He's Erean? How do you know he's not a betrayer?" Sin exclaimed silently, looking at the grim paladin.

"He pledged loyalty to The Grand Commander. He was placed under a magic watch he had no idea of, and he served loyally to Bolstar." Siham said. Sin was now more than ever, disliking him, even despite his pledge to the Grand Commander as someone who'd serve Bolstar and none other. He walked in silence in the back, away from everyone, thinking about the new events that had happened. "Look, brothers! Alsterea!" Carlos exclaimed, and for the first time in a while, everyone looked releived. Kyren grinned wide. "Let's find a nice place besides the river nearby, and clean up, and march into Alsterea and find a place to set up shop, a new start, as the Marching Dawn." Kyren said, as they veered off of course, to a river that ran besides Alsterea, the kingdom north of what WAS Bolstar. Everyone marched towards the river in high spirits, spirits raised in thought of a new beginning.


	16. A Chapter

The troop set up at the side of the river, and everyone washed up, cleaned clothes, and cleaned off weapons of blood. Sin floated in the middle of the river, shirtless, wearing a pair of plain jeans. He floated on his back, staring at the sky, thinking. No one else was swimming, but Michael was fishing, and Terra was thinking about what Sin had said, about fisherman. Sin was a strange person, able to manipulate someone's mind into complete paranoia about someone.

August tried hard to not look at Sin, but she couldn't help, and felt a little... naughty? about it, so whenever she glanced over, she quickly looked away. "Peeking at Sin, huh?" A voice said from behind, and it was the icy-haired mercenary. August hid her face with her hair. "Uhhh..." And Hannah smiled. "I don't blame you, he isn't bad looking at all. Just not in my personal tastes." She said, and August smiled sheepishly. "But you seem to be the type of girl who'd go for tha bad boy." Hannah said, and August shrugged.

"But, my advice, is that you get to him before Terra does, because she might be a problem." She said, and August nodded. "I know..." She said, in an almost evil voice. Hannah backed up. "Woah." She said, and laughed nervously. "Didn't expect that of little miss nice-nice." She said, and August laughed and smiled sheepishly again. "Sorry..." She said, looking back to Sin. "If you don't like Sin, who do you?" August asked Hannah. She grinned. "Someone." She said, walking away, to go stand among Kyren, Baldh, and Baldh's troop.

Sin eventually decided to get out of the stream, at the calling of Kyren's voice. His little swim floating in the river had given him time to think, something he hadnt been able to do in a while, which caused him to be bitter.

"What do you want?" He said, and Kyren's eyebrow raised. Apparantly, Sin wasn't in a good mood, judging from his scowl and lack of attention. "Well, I'm going to send in a few unsuspiscious members of our group to go scout out ahead, in Alsterea. Make sure there's no Ereans, and even look for a lot for sale where we could set up shop, as sellswords." He said, and Baldh cringed. "Don't degrade us to the quality of common sellswords." He said, and Kyren shrugged. "What else shall we call ourselves? Proud survivors of the Bolstar Slaughter? If we are to play ourselves off as sellswords, we have to call ourselves sellswords until we have other merits." He said, and Baldh sighed. "All that work, for nothing... now I have to build my pride, once more..." he said to himself.

"but, like I was saying... I need a group of people to scout out, in groups of two, or alone, to learn the lay of the land, and keep an eye out for potential locations. If not, we'll be forced to build our own camp outside of Alsterea." Kyren said. "Sin, you'll be one of our chief scouts, because of your natural ability to blend in." And Sin nodded. "Yep..." He said, and Kyren nodded. "I'll take that as a yes." And Sin was looking at the gates in the distance from the small camp they set up near the rive. "Whatever you say." He said, and Kyren sighed.

"Hannah, and Heresy, you two can go as well. Keep an eye out for a smith, who can make this list of supplies, and here's the money for the order as well." Kyren said, handing Hannah a large pouch of heavy money. "Well, pure gold coins in here, huh?" Hannah said, opening it. "Must've taken this from the treasury as allowance, huh, Kyren?" And Kyren's eyes shifted. "My father told me to always keep a large sum of emergency funds..." he said, and Heresy laughed.

"Nonetheless, we shall go." he said, and Kyren looked among the other units. "August, you can go too, but leave your horse behind on this one." He said, and she looked unsure of herself. "Y-yes.. captain..." She said, as everyones eyes turned to her, as she got off her horse. "Terra, Michael, you go into the town too." And the two Myrmidons nodded. "Siham, you can go as well, you won't stick out too much." Kyren said, and she nodded. "Now, I would let you mages go, but don't get me wrong..." He said looking over the bunch. "...but you're all a bit too ... eclectic to not stick out." And Nadia nodded, understanding. "Hmph... I don't care, but when will battle break out again?" He asked, sounding almost thirsty.

"When we become mercenaries, we'll have plenty to do." He said, and Aidan smiled. "Good. I need to keep sharp..." He said, and Kyren blinked, looking away. "The rest of us will stay here. If something goes wrong, evacuate the city, and come straight here, as fast as possible. The rest of us will stage a rescue." He said, and the scouts nodded, and set off for the city of Alsterea.

On the walk...

Sin was ahead of the group, wanting to be alone as much as possible, but it seemed that his time here had been signifigant to seem to attract... friends. "Trivial things like friends aren't needed.." He muttered to himself, but then shook his head. "Eh? That was unlike me.." He said, as he seemed to battle his own personality as it changed.

Michael and Terra were besides each other, Hannah and Heresy accompanied by Siham, and Sin ahead of them all, August tagging behind, wondering how to get to Sin without being noticed. Michael ran ahead, and tapped Sin on the shoulder. "Before we get to the town, it seems this new... power... of yours has made you on par with me-" He said, and Sin whirled around, blades at ready, lashing out at Michael which he promptly dodged. "A duel it is." Sin said, and Michael laughed.

Terra rolled her eyes. "These two never let up!" She said to herself. "Well, they are fighting over you." Hannah said, and Terra blinked. "Eh?" She said, and Hannah laughed. "All of you are so clueless! Take a look around, realize the situation you four are in." Hannah said, with a sly grin on her face. "...Four of... us?" And Hannah laughed, and tugged on Siham and Heresy's arms, and went off ahead.

August walked up to Terra. "They're fighting... again..." She said, and readied a staff. Terra noted this and laughed. "Yeah, one of them's bound to get hurt... who do you think will win?" Terra asked, leaving August perplexed. Shouldn't her enemy be more... mean? "I hope Sin will win..." She said, and Terra tilted her head. "I don't know who I think will win..." She said, as the two watched.

Sin was slow to start, but caught up as he learned how his weapons worked. The blades were heavy, yet once he got to using them, he manipulated the top-heavy quality and the fact that they were chained to move them at amazing speeds. Michael could only dodge at this point, but it didn't look like he intended to attack, either.

"Well, this is a new speed and prescision I havn't seen before... so this is a true assassin, huh?" He said, as he evaded a near hit, and drove his hilt into Sin's chin, lifting him off his feet, and flipping once backwards. "Too bad assassins are so weak, apparantly." He said, with a wiley grin.

Sin landed on his feet, and rubbed his chin, his expression becoming serious. "Oww.." He said, cracking his jaw. "That really hurt you know." He said, and Michael laughed. Suddenly, a blade shot at him. Michael ducked really quick, as he acessed the situation. He used the top-heavy movements of those strange daggers to give the other chained dagger immense momentum, as he launched it at him, doubling his weapons as clumsy close range, and deadly ranged. Suddenly, Sin dissappeared, and reappeared in front of Michael. "This is what assassins would call a Silencer." He said, a maniacle grin on his face, and a burning intent to kill in his eyes.

Terror shot across Michaels face. The bastard was going to kill him! But he seemed helpless as time seemed to slow down, and Sin seemed to speed up, as he did a sweeping kick, knocking Michael off his feet, and from the ground, Michael noticed that the chains had broken from each other, and had attached themselves to his arms. "Silencer." He said, spinning his blades and Michael closed his eyes. Thump.

Sin had launched the chained blade at the ground, inches from Michael's face. "Did you really think I'd kill off a team mate?" Sin asked with a chuckle, as the chains crawled down his arms and re-connected, as he pulled the dagger from the ground. Sin turned around, and Michael grinned, as he pulled on Sin's leg, causing him to trip, and while Sin was down, Michael got up quickly, and placed the tip of his blade at the back of Sin's neck.

"SonofaBITCH." Sin muttered, and Michael laughed. "You might have more potential, but I have experience, something that can NEVER be given to you." He said, and Sin mocked him from the ground. Swatting away the blade, Sin stood up, grumbling.

"I'd call that a tie." Terra said, and Michael's jaw dropped. "What do you meeeean, a DRAW?" He said, and Terra laughed. "Well, Sin got you down as well, and had you in a kill position. If he hadn't missed on purpose, you'd be dead, and you'd never get that chance you had." she said, and Michael tried arguing. "Would you like to duel me? We both know who'll win this battle." She said, and Michael gave. "Oh, and I didn't miss purposely." Sin said with a sheepish smile of innocence. "I tried to stick him in the face, but I'm still not used to my weapons." He said, and Terra's smile fell off. "What?" She said, simply, and Michael chased him. "GET BACK HERE, NOW!" Michael yelled, and Sin laughed. "Catch me if you can!" He exclaimed, and August giggled, as she watched Sin run towards town, and she and Terra ran into town as well.

Now, within town, they split up, and Terra and Michael went off one way, and Sin dissappeared, and August was left alone, in the big city. "Uhm... Sin?" She asked, as she stumbled out into the crowd, and rushed off to find him. "...Don't leave me behind!"


	17. A Nice Dinner with a Side of Manslaugter

Back at camp, Kyren stood over a rack of supple pine that was over a raging fire, cooking the fish that Michael had caught earlier. "Perfect, good food for the troops... too bad our scouts will be missing out." He said, as he called over the troops, as he slapped a few peices of salted meat onto the rack, prodding them with a stick, as they cooked. Lysalia grinned. "And who says men can't cook." She said, as Kitch threw sparks on the fire to keep it alive in places where it was dying, as Lysalia used her wind magic to carry over logs into the fire. Keith though, sat besides his master, marked by death.

Sin's stomach growled. "Mn..." He said, as his fingers dipped into a passerbys wallet. "Ooo, this is a hefty one." He said, tossing the pouch up and catching it again. "Ahh, the city life is deffinitely for me... need money, just dip your hand into someone else hard earned gold." he said, turning into the nearest resteraunt, and he heard a familiar voice. "W-wait up!" a girl's voice called, and suddenly, August's arms linked around his.

"S-sin... don't... run... off like that!" She said, her eyes almost tear-filled. "I get lost in cities easy! I got lost once when I was seven, and it took a week for my parents to find me..." She said, stuttering. Sin felt horrible. "I'm sorry... well, I'm stoppign for a bit to eat, so why don;t you come with me? It'll be my apology for rushing off like that. I'll pay, and you pick whatever you want." He said with a smile, and Augusts face turned red when she realized that she was still holding onto his arm and he was looking down at her with a smile on his face.

Terra and Michael were hungry as well. "Hm, let's get this job done, and get back to camp, they're probably cooking the fish." He said, and Terra nodded. "Yeah." She said, as her eyes strayed over Michael. Cut that out, Terra, you promised yourself, fighting before boys... they're my only weakness, and I won't give in... Terra thought as she looked away. "So, let's scout out for an empty lot, ok?" She asked, and he nodded. "Yep, thats a good idea." Michael said as he turned to a civilian, and asked about an empty lot ready for development.

"Well, we're in luck, this man says there's one just down the road." He said, and Terra nodded, as they rushed down the way in order to get this finished as quick as possible in order to get back, so they could get food in their bellies. When they got there, they already found Siham at the site, prospecting it. "Oh, there you two are!" She said, cheerily. "I've been speaking with the man who owns this land, and he's willing to part with it, for our cause, and he'll even throw in some workers for some extra cash. I already talked him into coming with us back to camp to negotiate the price with the Commander." Siham said, and the two Myrmidons smiled. "Good, we get to go home, we're starved." The two said, as the myrmidons led the others back to camp.

Sin sat down at a polished wooden table. He had choosen a damn fancy resteraunt, as he thought about it. He pulled out Augusts chair for her, to be polite, and she giggled. Hey, shes kinda cute... He thought, as he called for a waiter. He might have to dip into his own money for this, and he looked into his stolen wallet from under the rim of the table where August couldnt see, to see his bounty. A merchants wallet, it seemed, lined with gold coins. Well, if he went overly extravagant, it'd only hurt his own wallet a bit.

"Hello there sir. A mercenary, are you? Would you like the cheap menu?" The waiter asked mockingly, laughing. Sin laughed with him. "No, I'd like the expensive one, you silly git, and if you call me poor once more, I will make sure to spread your brains thick around this fine establishments floor!" He said laughing still, as the waiter perked up, and stopped laughing. "Right away sir." he said, and August looked at him reproachfully. Sin looked over. "Oh, I;m sorry about the... foul language?" he said, and August smiled weakly. "It's ok, im just not a fan of uneeded violence." She said, and Sin frowned. "I'm sorry about that then. I just don't take to insults well." He said, and she nodded. "It's ok." She said, with a smile.

She is pretty, too. Maybe he'd take his mind off of Terra for once, and see what this nice girl had in store for him. But then he wouldn't be able to wallop Michael whenever he wanted... oh well, he'd work around that for the moment.

The waiter brought back menus, beautiful ones, compared to the plain cruddy ones from before. "Also, sir, I apologize for my actions earlier." He said, and Sin nodded. "It's ok, just politeness is what gets you tips. Im sure you have a family to feed." He said, throwing him a platinum coin, worth a hundred pure gold coins. "Thank you sir! What would you like?" He asked, and Sin looked over the menu. "Hmm... I'll have whatever the hell this is... some fancy name for good steak. As for an appetizer... bring me... your best soup." He said, and the waiter nodded. "Extravagant style in plain tastes... you amaze me." He said, as he took Sin's order and menu.

"Uhm..." August said, struggling over the menu. She had never seen such delicious foods, and never seen the price tag, either. Sin laughed. "Don't worry about the price tag. Buy what you want." And August blinked. "You sure?" and Sin nodded. "Yeah, go ahead." He said, and August began to chat with the waiter, discussing what was good. Sin, looking closer now at her now, was surprised at what he was missing while he was looking at Terra. This girl was an innocent beauty, filled with care for others... and he could tell by just watching her talk.

"Alright young masters, your food will coming shortly." The waiter said, as he left. "August..." Sin began. "Yes?" August asked. "...You're really pretty." He said, blunty. "Oh! Uhm, do you think...so?" She said, lowering her head, hiding her face with her hair. "Heyy! Stop hiding! I was looking at that, you know!" He said, craning his head over to get a look at her face as she kept hiding it from him. She was freaking adorable, Sin couldn't get enough of that giggle of hers. "Hey, look at meeee!" Sin said, trying to make her laugh even more. August looked up at him, ever so slightly. "You are so freaking cute!" Sin exclaimed, and she hid her face again. "Stop it! You're embarassing me..." She said, and Sin smiled. "Sorry, I'll cut it out." He said, and August looked up, and moved her hair from her face, her cheeks a red color.

"..." SIn tried not to say anything. "...What?" She asked. "Nothing!" Sin said, and the food arrived. "Perfect timing..." Sin said, trying to resist exclaiming how cute she was. The two began digging in, as they chatted about random things.

Elsewhere, while the troop assassin and healer (how opposite) ate dinner together (almost sounds blasphemous, doesnt it.) Hannah and Heresy were looking for a forge to get the order of armor and weaponry done. Eventually, the found themselves coming across a big forge, black smoke filtering out of a large chimney. "Finally!" Hannah exclaimed, as she allowed Heresy to go forward, pinching his ass. "Ho!" He said, jumping. "Was that...? I'm not even gonna ask..." Heresy said as Hanna walked in with a grin on her face.

"Allo there. Mercenaries by the look of yas." The smith said. "Yes, and we need this list of armor and weapons filled out." Heresy said, handing the list to the man. "Well, what, is a mercenary guild going to be built? This is a lot of items." He said, and Hannah and Heresy nodded. The smith beamed. "Well, whaddya know! It's about time! This town needs some hired help with things! Between the police being lax and our army shorthanded... this is a good omen!" He said. "Just pay me half the money now, and come back in... maybe two days, if i work non-stop this'll be all done." The old smith with white hair said. His soot covered face grinned as he was handed a large sum of money, and the group left. Hannah stood in the door though.

"We pray for your sake this stuff is all done when we come back, or you won't be a very healthy man." She said, and the old smith chuckled. "No no no, I don't work like that! I earn my money, not steal it.Hold me to my life, it'll be all done!" He said with a laugh, as he rushed into a backroom, and the sound of clanging was heard. "Ralf, come 'ere, take some of this money, go to our supplier of ores, and buy what we need for the list I'ma give ya." He said, and what looked like his grandson, apprentice perhaps, rushed into the room, and then out of the shop. "Finally, thats all done, let's get back to the camp for some eats." Heresy said, and Hannah nodded. "Yeah, sounds like a plan." She said.

"KYREN! WE BROUGHT THE CONTRACTOR FROM A LOT THATS FOR SAAAALE!" Terra roared as she walked into camp, sitting by the fire with Michael, as they managed to get some fish that no one had eaten. Kyren dismounted, and walked towards the contractor with Baldh and Lysalia. The contractor looked relieved. "Phew, I was fearing those two swordfighters were going to lead me into a bandit's camp." He said, and Baldh stared at him. "Are you calling up low-life bandits!" He exclaimed, and Kyren placed a hand on his chest. "Calm down, Baldh, understand where he comes from, I mean, two myrmidons, a common recruit for bandits and mercenaries, leading him out into the forest. I'd find it suspicious myself." Kyren said, and Baldh grunted as he backed down.

"I'm sorry for the offense sir... seing you all now... it seems like you're of noble heritage... but you claim mercenarydom, and I shall not poke my nose into your affairs." The contractor said, and Kyren nodded. "You're awefully wise for a contractor..." and the contracotr nodded. "I'm really a scholar in the university, but since the university closed, I turned to my family trade for money." He said, and Kyren nodded. "I see. It seems that Alsterea is falling apart since Bolstar arose." And the contractor nodded. "Yes, they pretty much sucked the life blood right out of us, being on a more convienent travelling path, Alsterea almost fell into disrepair. Hopefully, you mercaneries joining the town will do us good." He said, and Kyren nodded. As they begun talking, Hannah and Heresy walked into camp.

"We've got the order set up. Now, for food!" Heresy said, as he sat down at the fire, and ate alongside the other scouts. "It seems this town is friendly to mercenaries..." Kyren said, and the contractor nodded. "Yes, because it means revenue will return to us, from the goverment, as they will make more money from your help, and the money will go from your hands to smiths, and the smiths to miners, the miners to grocers... inevitably, it will bring the town back to life." He said, and Kyren nodded. "Thats a good thing... I just worry about if word will get out about us... we don't enjoy publicity." He said, and the scholar picked up on what he implied.

"Don't worry... I'm sure no one outside of Alsterea will know about you, as long as your mercenary group doesn't somehow achieve fame." He said, and Kyren nodded. "Well, back to our conversation... how much will it cost, an how much will the workers cost, as well?" Lysalia asked, and the contractor smiled. "Well, I'll only charge half price.. for land and workers. Your existence in town is something that Alsterea is needing. There's probably even a few warriors in town that probably would join a mercenary group, because a lot of people in town don't hold too much stock in the Alsterean army." The contractor said. "I see..." Kyren said. "Hey, where's August and Sin...?" He asked, and Siham shrugged. "I dunno..." and Lysalia looked concerned. "August gets lost in cities like that..." She said, and Kyren looked up to the sky. "If they don't come back a little before sun down, we go in questioning... and Mr... contractor, we accept your offer, here's the payment." Kyren said, handing the contractor a sack of money. "And the name's Sartis." he said, accepting the payment.

"The work will be started tomorrow morning." He said, and Kyren nodded. "Good... now we'll just have to wait for Sin and August to get back." He said, and Sartis left, and Kyren, Lysalia and Baldh joined the troop around the fire.

Back at the resteraunt, Sin and August were enjoying a delicious dinner. Suddenly, a man ran into the resteraunt. "BLACKS CREW IS BACK!" he yelled, and everyone jumped, and ran for the door, but a group of ruffians pushed them back in, one of the heavier ones, standing at the door, barring exit. "YOU! Rich little bastard." A man called, grabbing the waiter by the scuff of his neck. "Get us the best food in the house, on the house." He said, with a grin. "Y-y-yes Sir Black..." he said, and the large man threw the waiter across the room, and he got up and scrambled to the kitchens, shouting out orders.

"Pardon me, ma'am." One of the ruffians said, lifting a woman from her seat and throwing her to the ground. "This seats taken." He said, and this angered Sin. But, knowing August didn't approve of violence, he sat there, silently, like she did, enjoying their food. She was on her desert, a delicious looking cake. "Thaaaank you!" A lighter ruffian said, as he took the cake off her plate, and began eating it. Sin stood up, grabbed his empty plate, and smashed it over the ruffians head. "That's not yours, you asshole." And August looked worried, as more ruffians enclosed on Sin, who began laughing. "Low rate bandits..." he said, bursting out into laughter, as they charged at him.

The one to his right was closest, and lighter than the one who took Augusts desert. Sin swiftly wrapped his hand around his throat, and slammed his face into the table, and swung around with a right hook to the next ruffians face. August looked terrified, as Sin began smashing things over these ruffians heads, plates, glasses...

And Sin then picked up a chair and brought it down over a hunched over ruffian who he booted in the stomach. There were three left conscious, Black, and his two lackeys. The two lackeys unsheathed their weapons, and jumped at Sin who unsheathed his chained daggers. "No, don't kill them!" August said, as Black took her hostage. Sin heard her voice, as Black took her, axe blade to her throat. Sin's temper flared. Slashing at one of them, his blade slid across his throat, and the other one almost hit him with the axe, but Sin dodged quickly, and then wrapped the chain around his neck.

"Release her, and you get to keep one of your close men's lives." Sin said, and Black grinned. "I'd rather have you, instead. One man who can level my whole crew? And in unarmed combat... hah hah hah! I'll trade you yourself for the pretty maiden." He said, and Sin nodded. "Ok, but since you insist you don't want this guy..." He said, as a maniacle grin spread across his face, as he snapped his neck with a violent twist. "Ok, I'm yours, Black." Sin said, and Black held August tight. "Give me your weapons, first." And Sin obeyed, throwing his weapons down, and kicking them towards Black.

Black threw August down, and Sin walked towards Black. "Welcome to the crew, ya dumbass." He said, as he threw a forceful punch at Sin.

"Welcome to hell, you wasted soul." Sin said, as he ducked under it, and punched him hard in the... pants. Black fell down, squirming. Sin then brought down his boot on Blacks face, knocking him out. "I'll leave the police to clean this up... C'mon August, let's go." He said, and she nodded, wiping tears.

"Did you have to kill those two, though?" She asked, shedding silent tears. "Why... do you care? They were scum beneath our shoes." He said, and she wiped a tear. "They're still living people... they mightve had a family they needed to feed..." She said, and Sin's face and heart grew cold. "Then they should've picked their profession more carefully." He said, and August began sobbing. "They didn't deserve that!" She said, and Sin stopped, and looked at her, his eyes filled with pain.

"Neither did my father. Or my mother. Or my sister, for that matter. People like them, are corrupted by greed, and power. They deserved death, and if I become like that too, I'm no better. I have no qualms with killing those who are like them, like those who killed my family. And if I end up that way, I'll kill myself." He said, and she looked at him, his eyes twisted with anguish at his own memories. "I'm... sorry..." She said, as she buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him. Whenever she cried, she needed the nearest person's shoulder to cry into, she had always been this way, ever since that one day long ago...

"I'm sorry... I'm just a cold person at heart." He said, holding her until she stopped crying. "But I can't help it... c'mon, let's get back to camp, before it get's dark, and the Commander has a hissy fit." He said, and she laughed, between hiccups, as she wiped her eyes, as August thought about Sin. He may be a killer... he may be cold... but he does have a heart, down there, somewhere... maybe he can't find it... maybe he just... needs some help...


	18. A Day of Peace, New Tales be Told

They all woke up, bright and early. "What are we supposed to do in the two days or so that we have nothing to do?" Asked Sin and Kyren shrugged. "I dunno, but I would advise against any more dining encounters. That was incredibly careless. You're lucky you acted properly, or the Ereans wouldve gained wind of the new mass murderer of Alsterea." He said, and Sin chuckled. "You have to admit, all the people in town love me now!" He said, and Kyren nodded , slowly. "Yes, but don't do it again." And Sin laughed.

"Well, what will we do?" Lysalia asked, and Kyren shrugged. "Well, we could always check on what the hell that was that attacked Hiyo." Keith said. Jaquelin walked into camp, dragging Glen. Kyren turned, surprised. He had forgotten about them two! How could he be so stupid? He mentally slapped himself for his error. "Where have you two been...?" He didn't worry about them both, though, because they were incredibly dependable. "Well, Glen fell asleep on the march, and refused to wake up for about... three days, so I've been dragging him, while you guys forgot about us. Good thing the hooftracks from your two horses are so easily visible." She said, and eventually threw Glen aside the fire.

"Well, that was a workout." Jaquelin said, stretching her arms. "So, what have I missed in all the travelling? Any inspirational group speeches? It seems like Sin's grown up while I was gone, looky! He wear dainty armor now... I bet my axe could put a hole in that stuff." She said with a laugh, which Sin returned. "Not if you can't touch me, you can't." And she laughed as she drew her hefty axe. "Wanna bet?" She asked, and Sin smiled. "I won't even use my hands." He said, and Kyren rolled his eyes. It was obvious, a fighter bearing an axe against an assassin who used swords... the assassin would dodge with ease.

She swung the axe at him, which he flipped over, but suddenly, Jaqelin did something he didn't expect. She stopped the blade where he had backflipped over, cutting off his space to land on his feet. Gah! What should I do? Sin thought frantically, and he curled up into a ball, and rolled, hoping that he'd land on the flat side of the axe.

"You're a sly little bastard, but I give you credit. You're a good fighter." She said, as she saw Sin perched upon her axe head. "But, magic isn't like a weapon, and it's far harder to dodge. Watch out for that." She said, and Sin nodded. Faith looked bored, she hadn't been doing anything lately, and fell into obscurity within the group, and began throwing pinecones from trees nearby into the air, and shooting them out of the sky, one by one. She had been training herself to become a sniper, and was becoming awefully close to it. Suddenly, as she threw one up, it was shot down before she drew her arrow to her string.

Siham laughed. "Sorry, couldn't resist... I had been watching you shoot those things for a while now, and it looked like fun. How bout we take turns throwing them up, and shooting them?" And Faith agreed, and as they shot down the pinecones, they became fast rivals in archery. "Twenty-eight in a row! Not a single miss! I've almost won, winning score being thirty." Siham said, and Faith was under her score by two shots, and decided to show off. She gathered a handful of pinecones, about five of them, and threw them as high as she could, and jumped back, taking aim.

One feathered, two feathered, three feathered, the fourth pinecone feathered as well... and the last pinecone fell close to the ground and... she nailed it head one, and the arrow led the pinecone to Siham's feet. "What was that? Winning score of thirty? I believe that I just scored a thirty-one." She said, triumphantly, walking away. "Good shooting." Lysalia commented, and Faith beamed. It was one of her few talents, archery, and she prided herself on it.

Kyren looked to Faith. "Faith, I admit I have been overlooking you lately... but, would you like to post these posters around town? It's advertisement for the warriors that Sartis said linger around town, waiting for a mercenary group to be built. He said, as held out a bundle of papers. "You don't need to, but it would be appreciated." Kyren added, and she smiled wide. "I'd be glad too commander!" She said, as she took the bundle of papers and ran off to town.

"So, we're actually becoming mercenaries, eh?" Glen said sitting up, shocking Jaquelin. "You're awake?" She asked, and he nodded. "Yup, been awake the entire time you were dragging me, I just didn't feel like walking." he said, and you could practically hear him smiling under all the plate armor. Jaquelin said nothing, but decided to take a large rock, and slam it against the side of Glen's helm, repeatedly, so that the echo from banging inside the helmet would make his ears bleed in payback. Glen sat there, and then fell back down, and Jaquelin frowned. "I'm not dragging him this time. Tie him up to your horse and drag him or something, or get Lysalia to use her wind to carry the fool." She said, and the two laughed weakly.

Michael approached Sin. "Sin, I got a question for you..." And SIn looked surprised. His rival was talking to him. What foul scheme had he in mind? But, curiousity got the best of him. "What?" He asked, and Michael sat against a tree, while Sin stared out over the river. "Do you care for Terra?" And SIn kept staring out over the river. "I care for her... like she's the only family I have left." He said, as he smiled, realizing the true emotions for Terra in his heart for once. "I don't like her that way... but she is probably one of the closest people I know, and I doubt she knows it either. I've protected her from numerous opponents, and I have killed all of them. And don't doubt if you hurt her, I won't kill you either. Any of my family who gets hurt... dies by my hand." He said, and Michael was thrown off.

"You knew her outside of the army?" And Sin nodded. "Actually, do me a favor, go get terra for me... it's about time I told her something." He said, and Michael nodded, as he stood up, and Terra came to where Sin was sitting after a while.

"You wanted me?" Terra asked, sitting next to Sin. "Michael told me you feel as though I'm family... is that what you began feeling towards me as you watched me through childhood?" And Sin laughed. "Yeah. I watched your family, and became envious of them all. See, what you didn't realize, is that your father, one day, caught me in a silent duel between an assassin and me." He said with a laugh.

"After that, your family took me in as one of their own. How I loved it, after not having a family myself. I was named the family Guardian, as I took down more and more assassins who broke in, trying to kill your family." And Terra stopped him. "Why were there assassins in my home?" And Sin scratched his chin. "Something in your blood. The assassins were of Erean blood. Something about your family, they didn't want rising to the surface. I realized that myself, and realized that... if your family didn't know about me, I'd be more able to protect you all." He said, and Terra looked at him.

"Is that why...?" And Sin nodded. "Yes, you only have dreams of shadows where I used to belong in your memories... a Sage made me a drought that if I fed to you guys, it would make you all forget about me. What if an assassin took me hold, and used me as a hostage in trade for you? I'd never forgive myself. So... I went through the pain again, of being lost, and without a family, so I could protect the ones I had. Once you all had forgot about me, I would be worthless as a bargaining chip, and my reward for being careless enough to be captured would be death." Sin said, and Terra was shocked. "So thats... how you've trained to become an assassin? Like your father?" and Sin nodded.

"Yes, something about rush of silence, and flash of steel in the night, it appealed to me, something in me desired it, it made my blood burn, and I felt alive... yes, I'm a horrible person... the rush of killing makes me feel like a person again. I have the bloof of Alcuin in me... the most feared assassin the ages had seen. He, I don't doubt had this same strange... problem with him." Sin said, and Terra held her head. "Well.. not that you're saying this... those shadows, that felt like dreams, that were where you were meant to be... are filling in again..." She said, and she looked at Sin. "Do you still have the..." And Sin fished out a small emblem. "Yes, I still have the emblem, your families keepsake." He said.

"Your father gave it to me, when I told him of my plans. I didn't trick any of your family into drinking it, besides you. Although the same age as me, you were incapable of the maturity to let go of your... big brother, as you used to call me." He said, and laughed. "We used to play such silly little games, and I'd sit there, the cold-blooded assassin with no heart, confused as you taught me childhood games I had never had the chance to play." he said, reminiscing. "But, as I was saying.. I told your father, and he didn't wish to forget me, and neither did any of the adults, but they understood my sentiments, and how my life had been devoted to protecting them, so they gave me this emblem as a keepsake, a reminder so I didn't forget them, like I had forgot my past, and my name. And after a while, I literally... faded away from your household, as the assassins stopped arriving, and I left that place for years... and then I met you again, on the way to the army." he said..

"And, have you grown. You've become a beautiful woman, and a great fighter, as well. Even though my deeds bring me pain, it brought me happiness to see you doing well in life, and it brought warmth to my void of a heart, in the fact that something I had done had changed people, for the best." He said, and Terra thought. "So... that's the reason when you came with me, to the ruins of my home... that you were so offended, and vowed that you'd have revenge..." She said, and Sin nodded, with a half-hearted laugh.

"Yes, I was angry. It's the second family Erish and Xacaryus has taken from me. I don't remember how I survived the first time... and the second time, to boot. It seems someone has been protecting the protector." He said with a small chuckle.

"Sin, I got a question..." Terrs said. "Go ahead." Sin said, laying down on the grass. "People say... assassins are the blades that protects... and some people say that assassins are the blades that destroy..." She said, and Sin nodded. "There are two kinds of assassins... but I protect with my blades." He said, and Terra nodded feverishly. "Yes... I know... thats why I want you to teach me how to use the blades that protect people." She said, and Sin sat upright, and stared at her.

Michael was amazed, leaning up against a tree. "The roots of this troop go deeper than expected... if I want Terra I better do it right, or Sin will have my throat cut out, and served for dinner..." He said, stroking his chin. "You better believe it." Sin said, hanging upside down from a tree branch nearby. Michael, shocked, and surprised, drew his blade, and swung it instinctively, Sin flipping from the branch and landing on his feet.

"Well, go ahead, date her. But, you hurt her in any form, you die." Sin said, and Michael shook on it. "I won't." He said, and Sin smiled wickedly. "Ok, but I'll be borrowing her for a while. I'm teaching her to become an assassin." And Michael was shocked. "Whyyyy?" He exclaimed.

"Because I want to." Terra said from behind Michael, and Sin clapped. "Good work! Didn't even hear you coming. You've already got stealth skills." He said with a smile. Terra wrapped her arms around Michael. "Your not angry at me, are you?" She asked, and Michael shook his head. "N-no..." He said, not used to this sensation being give to him by a girl.

"Oh, and by the way... We're dating now. So I better not see you even look at another girl, if you want to live." Terra said, and Sin began laughing. "YES! She's already got the hang of an assassins personality!" Michael grinned. "It'll be worth it." he said to Terra, and Terra smiled. "Good, but, I gotta train with big brother for a bit. I mean, we're at war, and we've been given two days for lounging? I'm going to take the best of it." She said, and Terra and Sin walked off. Michael began thinking. "Should I become an assassin too...?" He asked himself, and he shook his head. "No, I'm becoming a swordmaster, thats what I vowed to do... since..." And He shook his head. "No, let's not think about those days. Michaels a happy man, the past isn't going to drag him down." He said, as he walked away.

Hiyo finally woke up, from his coma, without the help of August. "Keith, never EVER do what I just did. I scryed incorrectly, and I saw into the future of Death, and I saw my own." He said, and Keith looked curious. "What was it like-" And hiyo held a finger to Keiths lips. "No human being should ever be able to see their fate." He said, standing up weakly, looking fatigued, and aged from his encounter, and walked to the fire, and sat close to it, as if to warm his chilled soul. His skin had become incredibly pale, and his eyes darker than usual, the X marking on his forehead, a pale red color. "I know how I will die, and I accept it." He muttered.

The day was ending, and Kitch was scribbling madly, looking to the skies frantically. He hated the night... thats when he forgot everything the past day. Faith came running into camp. "Commander! Everyone's goign crazy about the new mercenary guild we're setting up! It's incredible! Townspeople crowding around wherever I post the posters, and warriors of all kinds swarming out of the woodworks when they got wind! I've seen even wyvern riders looking towards the posters. Townspeople and warriors have even been helping build the guild! It'll be done probably by tomorrow, at the pace everyone's working!" Faith said, and Kyren beamed. New beginnings were starting, and new tales had begun to write themselves...


	19. Amazing Events

Kyren rode into town, with a handful of units, the fighters of his original troop, Lysalia, Faith, Terra, Michael, Sin, Hannah, Glen and Jaquelin. Although they didn't originally look it, they have achieved an almost war-like appearance, having survived a brutal onslaught, and wore their experience like a proud scar, having new keen instincts that a near-death skirmish had brought upon them.

As they rode into town, Hannah lead them to the new guild, and it was a massive building, taking up every last inch of space that was given. Walking towards it, they could see a training area, with a landscaper seeding it, and watering it, it a little mini courtyard behind the building. The guild was huge, the lot itself looked smaller before it was built, and now, upon its building... it looked absolutely huge.

"The whole town chipped in to build this. It's completely sturdy, efficient, two floors, a mess hall, a corridor of rooms for the mercenaries, the training area... it just has no carpeting, or furniture within it, but I'm sure you don't care." Sartis said, and Kyren nodded. "Yes, I don't mind buying the furnishings and carpeting, as well as wallpaper. But the building itself is extraordinary... how did you manage to build it so quickly?" Kyren asked, and Sartis grinned.

"A workfull day, sleepless night, and a town of work power." He said, with a grin to the townspeople who stopped by. In Alsterea, there were many little towns, and one major city, at the foot of the castle, and by chance, they choose a small one, near the southern gate. "I see, c'mon men... and women, let's take a look." Kyren said, dismounting, and Sartis grinned. "We built a stable, in the side, over here..." He said, taking Kyren's horse's reins, and walking him down a pathway to the side of the large oaken building, where there was a large add-on, a stable which could hold about ten or so horses at once.

"Sartis, I feel like I've cheated you, at least let me pay you little bit more for this... this is exceptional. It's way too good for the paltry sum I gave you..." He said, and Sartis waved away the notion. "Bah, don't worry. This group will be the lifeblood of our little town, as well as the rest of Alsterea, which is slowly falling apart. Even the nobles and lords live in constraints of the needs of money." He said, and Kyren nodded. "I see..." And Kyren turned to Sin. "Go get the others, and return here." He said, and Sin nodded with a mock salute, walking away oh-so-slowly, fading into the crowd.

"Let's look inside, Kyren!" Lysalia said, as she near-dragged Kyren inside, and before he was pulled in, he barked out an order. "Hannah, go check the smiths, see how the weapons and such are coming." He said, and Faith, Glen and Jaquelin walked in, and looked around.

"Wow." Jaquelin said, slamming the flat side of her closed fist against the wall a few times. "Study shit." She said with a laugh, and Glen rand headlong into the main wall on the main hall, and he bounced off, not a dent in the wall. "yup, definitely sturdy!" He said, and Faith laughed. "The ultimate test for walls: to see if Glen can run into them, and not break them." She said, and Jaquelin nodded. "Hell yeah, this wad of plate's gone through lots of em." She said.

Kyren walked around, and looked at the front hall. "Right here, you can hang the emblem of your mercenary band." Sartis said, as he motioned to a large wall at the end of the main hall, where there was a bare spot. The main hall was wide, and empty, and in need of decorations. "Maybe a coat of arms, some display blades... and our own banner would do nicely to decorate this place." Kyren said, and Lysalia nodded. "It'll be a little while, but this place will be better than home, sooner or later." She said, and Kyren nodded.

"Look, there's a second floor, too." Jaquelin said, as she pointed to a flight of stairs. "Yes, upstairs is where the mercenaries bunk. There's a common room with a large fireplace, and there's a system called 'vents' that circulate the heat around the guild, and there's one downstairs as well, and helps keep this place toasty warm." He said, and Kyren nodded. "And in summer?" And Sartis shrugged. "You'll have to live with the heat, or find a nice mage who is partial to the element of ice." Sartis said with a laugh.

"Also, upstairs, there's a handful, about five extra large rooms for superior officers." Sartis said, and he kept going, this building his pride and joy. "There's a room for an armory storage for surplus equipment, and one room where you could start up a shot, where we built especially so you could employ a merchant to sell his wares inside the place, like armor, weapons, food, leisure items, all kinds of stuff." Sartis continued, and he frowned. "There's also a large spare room we havn't come up with a reason for..." He said, and Kyren grinned.

"Why not a classroom where we pay a scholar named Sartis to educate our units." He said, and Sartis blinked. "Are you serious, sir?" And Kyren nodded. "As serious as I always am." He said, and Sartis bowed deeply. "Thank you Sire..." He said, and Kyren waved it off. "How much money have you saved me already? I might as well pay for your livlihood while im at it." Kyren said, and Sartis smiled.

"Is there any other spare rooms? If there's another equipment surplus type room, furnish it yourself, and move into the guild so your workplace is nearby. Do you have a family?" Kyren asked, and Sartis nodded. "Yes, a wife and a little girl!" he said, and Kyren nodded. "Perfect, you'll just need two beds, and a few other things, a range perhaps.. speaking of ranges, what about a kitchen?" Kyren asked, and Lysalia's ears perked up. She liked to cook.

Sartis led them to a big kitchen, with a range, and tables, cabinets for plates, spice racks, utensils, frying pans, as well as all kinds of other things that'd be usefull for cooking. Lysalia began searching around the room, appraising it. "Stained floors... good for spills... easy to clean..." She said, and Kyren scratched the back of his head, as his units looked at his girlfriend, dumbfounded.

"There's still a lot that needs to be added onto this kitchen, but for all of it coming with the guild, it's exceptional." She said, with her nod of approval, and noticed how she had broke out of her usual silent shell in front of the troop. "Heh heh..." She said, as she sidled behind Kyren, embarassed.

"Hm, is ther eanything else I forgot that I should mention...?" Sartis asked, and Lysalia peeped out from behind Kyren. "...Classroom for the mages to further their studies? A library, perhaps? Both?" She asked, and Sartis counted fingers. "... on the opposite side of the bedrooms, there's four empty rooms, about half of the top floor empty and seperated into rooms, so you could probably get those two things you need. Still an empty room, though..." Sartis said.

Kyren rubbed his chin. "What about if we get too many people, and need more space? Will we be able to purchase extra land around here...? I doubt it because of the people who live nearby..." He said, and Sartis thought. "I don't think it'd be possible, but if you can buy their land from them at their price, which I'm sure will be more than enough to sway their land deeds." He said, and Kyren nodded. "But I refuse to buy their homes unless they have a place in advance to buy or live at..." He said, and Sartis nodded. Then, a bell rang, the chime sounding through the house.

"That's the bell I installed for visitors to the guild. They hit a bell with a small wooden hammer, and it resonates throughout the guild." Sartis said, and Kyren nodded. "I'll get it, hah." He said with a bout of laughter, walking from the kitchen to the main hall, and opening the door, where two royal figures stood.

One of the two people had a short neart blonde beard, slicked back blonde hair, and one azure and one emerald eye, wearing a long crimson robe, a golden crown adorning his head. The figure that stood next to him wore full emerald plate armor, with a blazing sun enblazoned on his chest plate, a fully plate armored horse, and and he removed his helm, revealing a face that looked as if carved from stone, and he looked exactly like Kyren, but more aged, grey spotting his hair, and tainting the roots, a scar over his right eye. "...Father?"


	20. Blessed Blade

Kyren stood, slack jawed. It was his father. He hadn't seen him since the beginning of Kyren's enrollment of a Squad Commander. Since then, the Grand Commander hadn't been seen, and left Kyren with a few cryptic words. "My stories just beginning to end... and it's continuing in yours." He said, and left.

"Kyren, you remember what I did say, before I left Bolstar, on a mission?" The Grand Commander said, and Kyren nodded. The Grand Commander walked in, with the royal figure at his side. "My story, is just ending... it's begun to end. Soon, your story will begin. I just came to take one last look at you." He said, looking the unarmored Kyren up and down. "What, a Great Knight without armor? Without an axe? Has your group all been looted of armor?" The Grand Commander scorned, looking at the unarmored units.

"Well, the armor all had the emblems of ... a undesirable past on them..." Kyren said, in a weaker voice than usual, not his forceful superior voice. Everyone felt this way, because they felt as if they were in the presence of a god. The Grand Commande nodded. "Yes, I forgot about that... I assume the smithy is working double time-" And Kyren grinned with a smile. "And half price." He said, and the Grand Commander laughed. "On a budget, son? You should be able to pay double instead of half. Keep that in mind." He said, and Kyren nodded.

"But... you have armor being made, as well as weapons... so, I guess I'll be giving you this." He said, pulling out a hefty broadsword, a golden handle wrapped in crimson, the blade silver, with intricate black engravements enscribed up and down the blade. "It'll come in handy, some day soon." he said, and The Grand Commander walked outside, and pointed to the horse. "Your mount looks good in my old mount's armor, I don't need it anymore. Your welcome, son." He said with a laugh, leaving the Guild, and the royal figure behind.

"Good meeting you, Son of Bolstar." The man said, closing the door that the Grand Commande had neglected to close. Kyren held the new blade at the royal's throat. "You breathe a word of this to the Erans, and I will make sure this country is ash beneath my feet." He said, and the royal smiled. "Your father is a close friend of mine, Kyren, I would never betray him, because he'd degrade this town to a status lower than ash." He said, and Kyren put the heavy blade away.

"The name is Deltre XIV, King of Alsterea." He said, and Kyren blinked. "I'm sorry, but me, nor my mercenaries bow down in allegiance to no one but ourselves, and our companions." And the King smiled. "Tis mercenary code, so I will treat you as nothing except an equal." He said, and Kyren nodded. "So, what have you to say to me?" Kyren asked, and the King scratched his beard. "Well, I came here, in person, to sign your company to a single mission, and then, from your sucess, I expect nothing more of you, and from then, I would like to know if you wouldn't mind sparse missions from the Military." He said, and Kyren looked weary of this.

"I will take the contract for now... but I have to take up counsel with the rest of my crew." Kyren said, and Sin walked in. "They're already here." He said, and the rest of the mercenary group filed into the guild. The King began circling Sin. "Ah, an assassin. Is he specilized in killing arts, or spying?" The King asked, circling him some more. Sin grabbed him by the collar. "Make one more round around me, and I'll be using your robe as a napkin at dinner time." he said, and Kyren hit hm with the sheath.

"Be nice, it's the King of the land we reside in.", and Sin sighed. "Sorry. Don't expect any your majesties being flung around here, we're no big believers in goverments ruled by Kings..." He said, and the King nodded. "Yes, I understand, you all being of Bolstar... but do me a favor, and hold your tongues as far as threats going, I don't need you perfectly usefull people being killed for open treason." He said, and Sin nodded. "Alright then."

"But, men, and women... we have need to come to a decision... the King desires our abilities in a mission... shall we accept?" And Hannah took the paper from Kyren's hands. "We should look over the briefings of the mission, and check the mission difficulty." She said, and Kyren nodded. "I already looked at that... and it's two out of five, our job is easy. They've already got another mercenary group that they paid for that's apparantly easing two of the stars off of us." He said, and the King nodded. "Yes. They are technically being paid... they're an odd bunch... but the group asked me to keep their numbers, group members and motives secret. They like their mercenary companions learning these out for themselves, they said." The King said, and Kyren nodded.

"Well, the basic gist of the entire mission, is border control. Their's a large upswelling of barbarians, and their tamed beasts roaming the countryside that we need to help quell. The date for this mission is half a week from now, so we'll keep having lounging time, and we can take up petty missions from townspeople, if the rest of you all don't mind. Like, simple chores, and eliminations of pests, like wolves in their yard, or maybe helping enforce a dangerous bar." Kyren said, and most of them didn't mind, as long as they were put to use, and not degraded in their work. "Well, now we just wait, and see who shows up on our doorsteps as for recruits. By the way, Hannah, do me a favor, and check the smithies, see how they're doing on our armor." He said, and she nodded, and set out, and Kyren went outside, to look at his new mount. The chest plate of the old armor had been replaced, but the plate itself was a deep emerald color, and the chest plate, instead of having the blazing sun, was a topaz blazing sun, half setting under the horizon. Which, strangely enough, was the description he had put under all of the armor for mounts and armored units.

"How are we going to get the requests from townspeople for the employment of hired help?" Sin asked, and Kyren reached into his backpack, and pulled out a stack of papers. "Put these one the desk of the local police station, and tell the clerk at the desk to give this to the local head of enforcement." Kyren said, and the King handed Kyren a paper as well. "This is a handwritten letter authorizing these actions, and requests that they allow them." He said, and Kyren looked at him strange, as Sin left to deliver those papers.

"How did you and my father know about all of this anyways? Between knowing where we were, knowing the new emblem of our company, and to give me this paper?" And the King smiled. "Your father's a wise man." He said, and turned around and left. "He bothers me... ooo, I'm so special, King Deltre, the onehundred-forty-two and a halfth king." Michael said, mockingly, and Terra laughed. "Well, I bet hes a grand symbol to these people, like the Grand Commander awed us all when he was here." And Michael scoffed. "Yeah, but the Grand Commander is the Grand Commander because he earned it, and wasnt born into it..."

Elsewhere...

A wyvern rider sat upon a mountainous shelf, one that bordered the south of Alsterea. He took a deep breath of air, and sighed. "I love the open air! Yay! Now it's about time I got to play!" The twenty-five year old exclaimed, as he mounted his wyvern, and flew towards the town, lance in hand. "Come, Freedom, we ride!" He exclaimed to his mount, dark brown hair flying in the wind, as his light blue eyes lit up with anticipation as a childish smile grew on his face.

Back at the Guild...

Sartis left during the conversation, and brought his family to the guild, having a small daughter, and the woman was very pretty, and Sartis, a hardened man in his thirties, who wore a goatee and a look of wisdom in his eyes, but his arms showed his willingness to turn from his natural ability of intelligence to backbreaking work to feed his family.

"What's the cute little girls name?" Lysalia said, with a smile, as the child hid behind her mother's legs. "Her name's Kiara." The mother said, as she led her daughter out from behind her legs. The girl was about seven years old, and she seemed very shy, and Lysalia became partial to her already, seeing the small girl with long brown-red hair as her when she was young. "Say hi, Kiara... it's ok, these are nice people! We're going to be living with them! We'll actually have a big room! And you'll have a big yard to play in... and maybe we'll get you a doggie to play with!" The woman said with a smile, and Kiara began smiling, but stood hidden form behind her mother. "Hi..." She said, with a small wave.

"This is my wife, Cheri." Sartis said, putting an arm around her. "Thanks, again for allowing us to stay here, for free. We were living in a tiny room with my family, who already had a family living there... and my family was never fond of me... so they crammed us into a single room with one bed, and we barely ever had priveledges." She said, and Kyren grinned. "Don't bother thanking me. Your husband deserves it." And Sartis shook Kyren's hand feverishly. "Thank you, thank you, sir." He said, and Kyren laughed. "Don't call me sir, just Kyren." he said, and Sartis nodded, and smiled. "Cheri, Kiara, make friends with these kind people, I'm going to get our belongings and issue a big 'fuck you' to our horrible family who did that to us, when we fell into povery." Sartis said, hugging his wife. "And not only that, with my cut of the pay for this building is enough to furnish the new room enough to get nice furniture and toys for our daughter." He said, as he left.

Mostly everyone was inside, inspecting their new home, and the only people outside was Kyren, Lysalia, Cheri and Kiara. Suddenly, they heard a roar overhead, as a wyvern swooped down, and landed in front of them. "Hi! My name's Sion, and I'm awefully sorry, but Kyren, you're going to have to die!" He said, holding his lance at Kyren's face. Kyren was defenseless, unmounted, and his sword was in his sheath as the lance was at his face, and Lysalia couldn't cast a spell powerful enough to kill the wyvern rider without killing Kyren in the process. Cheri and Kiara hid in a corner, and Kiara stepped towards the wyvern rider.

"Please, don't hurt him..." She said weakly, terrified of the fearsome wyvern he rode. He looked confused. "B-b-but... Xakaryus told me... that if I did exactly like he said, I'd never be alone ever again... and I'd always have friends!" he said, and Kiara saw something in his light blue eyes that no one else did. "But... you don't have to kill people for that!" She said, and His lance faltered. "But..." And he looked distraught. "We can be your friends! And you wouldn't have to be ordered around, or anything! I could be your friend, if you want me to!" And the wyvern rider lowered his lance, and bowed his head. "I-i'm sorry... mister, if you let me expain, will you forgive me, and be my friend?" He asked, and Kyren looked at this older man strangely. "Sure.." He said, and the man dismounted, and pat the wyvern, who flew off to the mountains.

Kyren took him inside, into a spare room, to talk to him. "You work for Xakaryus?" He asked, and the man nodded a smile on his face. "He saved me! Took me out of the valley I had been in since I was a child!" he said, and Kyren nodded. "I see... why don't you fill me in on your past before you tell me of the present.." Kyren said, and the man nodded.

"Well, my name's Sion... when I was a small kid, about ten, I loved adventuring in the forests near my village... but one day, I fell into a valley, surrounded by unclimable ridges on all sides... and I learned how to defend myself using a makeshift spear. Year after year, I spent my life there, survining each day so I could finally see the day's sky once more, above that cursed forest sky." He said, and then he smiled. "Thats when I met Xakaryus! He told me there was an attack on my town, the same day that I had fallen into that accursed valley and the only people who survived thought I was dead, so no one went to look for me. He took me out of there, and promised he would be my friend, as long as I did exactly what he said, and he promised me I'd never be alone. He told me to find you, track you, and kill you, and I'd never be alone again. He trained me as a wyvern rider, and I came to love flight." He said, and Kyren nodded.

"We can be your friends too, you know.. and we won't give you pushy orders, but we may ask you of a little, here and there." he said, and Sion seemed to like it better than Xakaryus' proposal. "Everyone here will be my friend? And if I get lost...?" He asked, and Kyren smiled. "We never leave a valued unit behind. And even if they are dead, we make sure to recover their bones and at least give them a proper burial." he said, and Sion jumped up. "I'm with you guys!" He said, and smiled. "Where's the little girl, though? I want to play with her..." He said, as he got up. "Wait, Sion, I have one more question for you... why don't you act your age?" He asked, out of curiousity, and Sion shrugged. "Because I never had a chance to grow up." He said, and ran outdoors.

"KIARA! Never put yourself in danger like that ever again!" Cheri exclaimed, and she looked sad. "But... he wasn't going to hurt me!" She argued. Cheri didn't seem to believe it. "How do you know?" And Kiara shrugged. "I dunno..." She said in a small voice, and Sion poked her. "Hi! He said, and Cheri looked at him reproachfully, taking her childs hand and leading her away from him.

"I'm sorry for scaring you earlier... I'd never attack an innocent, or children!" He said, looking digsuted at the thought and Kiara poked him. "Tag!" She said, and Sion started laughing and chased her around the main hall, playing with her, but not far from Cheri's watchful eye. "Tag!" He said, tagging her back, but not running too fast so she couldn't catch him.

Sin approached Kyren. "Was that a wyvern I saw come by?" He asked, and Kyren nodded. "Who was it?" Sin asked, and Kyren shrugged. "A new recruit..." And Sin nodded slowly. "Uh huh..." He said, and he left. "I'm going to go train Terra, see ya." He said, and Sin left.

"Already, this place is just built, and it's already teeming with life..." Kyren said, looking out the window, talking to himself, with a smile on his face. Everything was going perfectly, nothing could go more according to plan.


End file.
